Sarawakians staying put, not going home for Gawai

KUCHING: For two years in a row, Timothy Upai Lindris has not gone back to Limbang to celebrate Gawai Dayak, the rice harvest festival.

The reason was not because of work or that his request for leave was rejected, but due to the Covid19 pandemic.

“If you love your family, why risk it just to spend two days with them? Let us make the sacrifice for now,” said the 31-year-old, who is working in Kuala Lumpur.

Other natives shared the same view and are resigned to the fact that they would not get to meet their family for the celebration.

Last December, Health directorgeneral Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham

Abdullah lauded Sarawak as a shining example in controlling the spread of Covid-19 with just 1,117 cases from March to December.

This year, however, the number of daily cases jumped to triple digits in a span of five months, with the total reaching 45,436 as at Friday.

There were 22 fatalities between March and December last year but now the death toll has risen to 276, which is truly worrying.

Sarawak acting health director Dr Rosemawati Ariffin said the average number of daily deaths increased threefold in three months with an average of three deaths per day in May as compared to just one in March last year.

She said there was a surge in daily cases during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri period (May 9-15) with 3,272 cases while from May 16-22, daily average cases stood at 596.

“Beds in intensive care units have reached a critical level. There are 83 patients who are still critically ill with 32 hooked up to a ventilator,” she said.

Due to the dire situation, Julie Nedi, 35, a Bidayuh working for a telco firm here, decided she would stay put with her husband and three children during Gawai Dayak which is celebrated on June 1-2.

Although her village in the Pedawan district is not far away, she chose to be a responsible citizen and help the authorities curb the spread of the disease.

“It’s okay if we don’t get to celebrate or meet up with our family. We’re giving our full cooperation because we’re worried about our aged parents. Their health is more important,” she said.

Iban longhouse headman Ritchie Lantan, 58, from Kampung Tegelam, Simunjan district, has banned his siblings working in the capital from returning to celebrate.

“We must never lower our guard. We were applauded for controlling the spread of Covid-19 with no new cases for a while but look at what’s happening now,” he lamented. — Bernama