All quiet on the S’wak front
Many staying home as state begins a two-week MCO
KUCHING: The city centre here was quiet and empty on the first day of Sarawak’s state-imposed movement control order.
At the India Street pedestrian mall, nearly all shops were closed apart from a pharmacy and several eateries.
Shops along Carpenter Street, Gambier Street and Main Bazaar were also shuttered except the grocers and some essential businesses.
Police were seen patrolling the area, advising shops that were still open to close, and checking the MySejahtera and manual registration methods for those allowed to operate.
According to the standard operating procedure (SOP), all economic sectors are not allowed to operate during the MCO which will last until June 11 except for those listed as essential services.
Some traders interviewed said the SOP should be more specific as to which sectors were considered essential services.
“It’s not clear which shops or sectors are allowed to operate,” a textile shop owner at India Street said, adding that he would nevertheless close his shop during the MCO.
State Local Government and
Housing Minister Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian, who oversees public health, said the purpose of the twoweek MCO was to break the transmission of Covid-19 infections by getting as many people as possible to stay home.
“People can leave home only for essential activities like buying food and medicine or to go for their vaccination.
“No haircuts, jogging, cycling, dine-in or window shopping and no social, family or religious gatherings. We will be able to see the impact of this after 14 days,” he said.
Sarawak’s MCO comes into effect several days earlier than the national lockdown announced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, which will take place from June 1 to 14.
Dr Sim said Sarawak would ramp up its Covid-19 vaccination programme following National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin’s assurance that more vaccines would be delivered to the state.
During his visit here on Friday,
Khairy had said that 380,000 doses of vaccine would be delivered weekly from the first week of June.
According to Dr Sim, this was almost equivalent to the two months’ supply of vaccines received in April and May.
“Currently, 1.198 million Sarawakians have registered for vaccination, of whom about 178,000 have received their first dose.
“Now that more vaccines are coming, the rest who have registered should be able to get their first dose soon,” he said.