Compel those travelling out of red zones to undergo Covid-19 tests – MP

KUCHING: Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii is urging the state government to compel those travelling out of red zones to undergo Covid-19 tests.

While inter-district travel is controlled during the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), he pointed out that this is important especially when considering that certain places in the state have reverted to CMCO from the initial MCO as well as the high number of unlinked cases.

“While I understand this may cause some level of inconvenience, but this is important to protect other parts of Sarawak especially the green zones and some yellow zones as well.

“As seen by the high numbers of cases especially in the red zones and many unlinked cases, the virus is likely already in the community.

“Thus, we must take extra precaution to make sure that there are no asymptomatic carriers that may bring it outside of those zones especially to the rural areas where healthcare facilities are limited,” he said when contacted by The Borneo Post on Sunday following the extension of CMCO state-wide from Feb 15 until March 1.

Dr Yii said that inter-district travel must be heavily regulated and controlled to protect green zones and even yellow zones to certain extent from a surge in the number of Covid19 cases.

He then pointed out that the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) can implement a policy, of which in order to get permission to travel out especially those in essential services, they can apply first for a police permit.

Those successful, he added, will then be allowed to get free Covid19 testing in any of the clinics involved.

“Only with both the police permit plus a negative result, then one is allowed to travel outside a red zone,” he added. SDMC in its daily update statement on Saturday announced that the CMCO will be extended once more from 12.01am on Feb 15 until 11.59pm on March 1.