KUCHING: A total of 285 Sarawakians had been placed in quarantine centres as person under surveillance (PUS) as of yesterday, according to State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) deputy chairman Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
The number of PUS, namely Sarawakians returning from overseas, the Peninsular, Sabah and Labuan, had increased by 104 since last Sunday.
In his statement, Abdul Karim said the PUS had been placed in hotel rooms where they would undergo self- quarantine for 14 days.
“In Kuching, 86 had been placed at the Hock Lee Hotel and 91 at Rajah Court Dormani Hotel. In Miri, 68 at Mega Hotel and 34 at Somerset Hotel. Another six had been placed at Purnama Hotel in Limbang,” he said in a press conference for the daily update on Covid-19 yesterday.
He assured that sufficient food would be supplied to the PUS as they would be provided with three meals a day.
Asked on the criteria for suitable hotels to be designated as quarantine centres, Abdul Karim said there was a certain prerequisite before such hotels were deemed suitable.
“Being a part of this committee, I know that the quarantine centres must provide individual spaces for each PUS to avoid transmission of the disease to other PUS.
“This is why they must be given individual rooms as well as bathrooms to avoid contact with other PUS,” he explained.
He also revealed that negotiations were being done with hotels in Sibu to be used as quarantine centres for PUS as the existing quarantine centre in Sibu could only accommodate PUI (person under investigation).
Meanwhile, Abdul Karim also revealed that all sago processing factories had been permitted to operate from 7am to 7pm throughout the movement control order.
Flights from Kuala Lumpur to Miri and return would also be made available twice a week on Thursdays and Sundays.
