Pu ing the squeeze on Covid-19

SDMC to release date, time and location of places visited by positive Covid-19 cases for those at risk to get tested

As such, if the public feels that they are at a certain place which was visited by an infected case, we ask them to go for Covid-19 screening so that they will know if they are infected or not. Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas

KUCHING: The Sarawak Disaster Management Commi ee (SDMC) has decided to release the date, time and location of places visited by confirmed Covid-19 cases beginning today as it ramps up its effort to curb the spread of the virus.

It was also decided yesterday that notifications be sent via MySejahtera to people who use the mobile phone application to check-in at the affected locations so that they will come forward to be tested for the virus.

SDMC chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the Local Government and Housing Ministry in collaboration with the state Health Department would be issuing a standard operating procedure (SOP) guideline on the new notification.

He said up until now, the commi ee had only announced the location of positive Covid-19 cases without determining the date or time the cases had visited a certain place.

“A er discussion, we decided that a new measure of how we can get people to cooperate is by announcing the location, date and time so that if members of the public feel that they have been to the infected area within that period that was announced, then we ask them to go for Covid19 screening.

“This new directive, under the instruction of Local Government and Housing Minister Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian, will start tomorrow (today),” he told a press conference a er the SDMC meeting.

He acknowledged that such measures might be sensitive but a er observing a similar practice in Singapore, the commi ee felt that this was one of the ways to tackle Covid-19 infection in the state.

“As such, if the public feels that they are at a certain place which was visited by an infected case, we ask them to go for Covid-19 screening so that they will know if they are infected or not,” he said.

Meanwhile, state Health director Dr Chin Zin Hing said his Department under the Ministry of Health will get the MySejahtera app to send messages to those who had checked in at places visited by positive Covid-19 cases.

“This is to remind people to come forward to get tested for Covid-19 at the nearest health clinic.

“They must also inform the health office the locations they have been to because not all people who checked in at a certain place use the MySejahtera app as some may use other apps or checked in manually,” he explained.

For those who get tested on their own, Dr Chin said they must also let the nearest health office know about the test so that they can be contacted and advised on their next course of action.

“The health office knows the facts of the positive cases and will know whether you need to be isolated, quarantined or repeat the test.

“Getting a negative test result does not mean you are already safe because if you are not careful, you could still be positive and may transmit the disease to others,” he stressed.

In another development, Uggah said the Local Government and Housing Ministry has issued the Protection of Public Health (Measure On Carrying Out Of Activities And Movement Of Person Within Infected Local Areas (No. 3) Order, 2021 under Protection Of Public Health Ordinance, 1999 effective Jan 1 to March 31, 2021.

“This gazette is needed because the last one we had ended on Dec 31, 2020. We need this gazette to give authority to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing to continue carrying out the necessary actions during this pandemic,” he said.

Also present at the press conference was Dr Sim.