DESPITE moving to Phase 3 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP), Sarawak is still faced with a clear and present danger.
Since Wednesday, the day the state moved to Phase 3 of Putrajaya’s pandemic exit strategy, it has registered between 600 and 700 of new Covid-19 cases, with fresh outbreaks reported in villages and longhouses located in the interiors.
It was only three weeks ago when the state saw some 400 new cases.
There were also new fatalities with the latest being a 22-year-old woman from Kuching who was brought in dead to the Sarawak General Hospital.
This follows two deaths just a day before involving a woman, aged 48, in Bintulu and a 61-year-old man in Miri. Both were not suffering from any comorbidities.
These deaths have brought the death toll to 468 and more than 80,000 cases cumulatively.
At least five outbreaks were declared, with one involving 352 villagers found positive under the Kg Seratan Kuching cluster.
Numbers don’t lie – it is clear that the people of Sarawak should curb their social and economic activities despite Phase 3 of the NRP allowing social gatherings and the private sector to operate at full capacity.
Inter-district travel is also allowed subject to rules set by the state Disaster Management Committee (DMC).
Question is, did the people of Sarawak celebrate too early? Or did they get the wrong message that Phase 3 of the NRP means Sarawak was already out of the woods?
Has everyone forgotten about the contagious Delta variant which has reared its ugly head?
It is crucial that state representatives and public figures do not send the wrong message to the rakyat that Sarawak is safe just because the government saw fit to move Sarawak into Phase 3 of the NRP.
With congratulatory messages flooding social media platforms and several state representatives giving the thumbs up for a job well done in tackling the crisis and hence bringing the state closer to Phase 4 of the NRP, the people may have just misread the state’s scenario.
They swarmed into cities and towns, almost in pre-pandemic mode.
This resulted in the DMC quickly announcing that the districts of Kuching, Samarahan, Serian, Simunjan, Lundu, Bau, Tebedu in southern Sarawak are to remain in Phase 2 of the NRP due to concerns over the Delta variant there.
The DMC should have retained the whole state under Phase 2.
It should have curbed movement and activities in the densely populated areas of Sibu, Miri and Bintulu.
On Friday, Bintulu MP Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing disclosed on Facebook that a 2-year-old toddler in Bintulu contracted Covid-19 after the parents took the child out for shopping.
He lashed out at parents who took things for granted and put the child’s health at risk.
“Covid-19 is still a serious threat, especially now with the Delta variant.
“This is not the time yet to enjoy social life,” he warned.
He also blasted those who were already partying away at eateries where dine-ins were allowed under Phase 3.
“In Miri, there were also crowds growing at shopping areas.
“I saw people drinking beer and feasting at some of the commercial centres.”
New infections have also been detected at Sibu Central Market, and yesterday, the Health Ministry declared it as a Covid-19 Hotspots Identification for Dynamic Engagement (HIDE) hotspot.
Sibu Municipal Council chairman Clarence Ting also took to task parents who thought that it was safe to take their children out.
“You know your children have not been vaccinated against Covid-19.
“Why risk their health by bringing them shopping and dining at coffee shops.
“Bear in mind, we already have the more infectious Delta variant in Sibu,” he said in a live stream on social media. – The Vibes, August 8, 2021
Stephen Then is a reporter at The Vibes. He is based in Miri
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