Kpg Haji Baki villagers commi ed to stopping Covid-19 infections — Uggah
KUCHING: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah yesterday commended Kampung Haji Baki villagers for giving their cooperation to the authorities as the Covid-19 Enhanced Movement Control Order ( EMCO) affecting the village entered its second day.
Uggah, who is Sarawak Disaster Management Commi ee (SDMC) chairman, said more than 800 villagers had turned up at the EMCO operations centre at Masjid Darul Ehsan yesterday morning to be swabbed for the virus – some 200 more than expected.
“Today (yesterday) 845 villagers had come forward (to be swabbed). We found out that the villagers have given their utmost cooperation in their contribution to break the chain of Covid-19 transmission,” he told reporters a er inspecting the operation.
He explained that there were 4,196 residents from 600 families affected by the EMCO and the area had been divided into three blocks, namely A, B and C. The swab yesterday involved Block A.
He said a second round of screening would be done on the 10th day of the EMCO period.
Local Government and Housing Minister Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian, who was with
Uggah, also thanked the villagers for their cooperation.
“They began to queue up early this morning (yesterday) and this shows their level of commitment. They are not resorting to running away,” he said.
Dr Sim also encouraged members of the public to go for screening voluntarily at the designated centres here while reminding people that the incubation period of the Covid-19 virus is 14 days.
The EMCO, the first in Sarawak, was enforced in Kampung Haji Baki in connection with the Baki Cluster, which has recorded 25 cases so far.
The order took effect at 6pm on Wednesday and will end at midnight on Nov 10.
Under the EMCO, the residents are confined to their homes and no one is allowed to leave or enter the village. For emergency cases such as illness and death, the villagers are allowed to exit the area but they need to get permission from the police.
The police have set up six roadblocks leading to the village.
The government is providing meals daily to the villagers and has set up a temporary clinic for the village’s aged, pregnant women and patients with scheduled medical appointments.