Quarantine for travellers into S’wak will only be lifted once SDMC sees fit – Uggah

KUCHING: The mandatory quarantine for all travellers to Sarawak will only be lifted once the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) sees fit to do so, its chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said.

He said the state will continue to impose quarantine for travellers in view that the majority of Sarawak’s Covid-19 cases were import cases.

“One such example is the Pasai Cluster in Sibu, which has resulted in more than 3,000 cases so far. Even until today, we still detected positive cases from import cases such as today’s Import A and Import B case.

“If we don’t quarantine travellers who enter Sarawak, those who are Covid-19 positive will be able to walk freely among the community and then spread the virus to others.

“If we don’t control the spread of disease, the condition will be worse,” he told a press conference.

He was responding to a question on whether the state would consider lifting or reducing the number of days for mandatory quarantine in view that there were cases of families who have been separated for a long time due to the pandemic.

Uggah, who is also Deputy Chief Minister, said that the state sympathises with those who have been affected but urged the people to try and understand the situation.

“We are not trying to create problems but this standard operating procedure is necessary to protect Sarawakians. It is not to discriminate and to stop families from meeting each other.

“That is why there are certain procedures that have to be followed because what we are all facing now is the new norm in this very difficult time,” he said.

Nevertheless, he gave his assurance that the mandatory quarantine would be lifted once the situation permits.

“There will be at time when we feel that it is no longer necessary for those entering Sarawak to undergo the mandatory quarantine. But this all depends on the Covid-19 situation within Sarawak as well as the country,” he said.