KUCHING: The State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) has tightened its standard operating procedures (SOPs) on funerals during the movement control order (MCO) and conditional MCO (CMCO) in force in the state.
According to the SDMC, only immediate family members are allowed to attend funerals.
The tightening of the SOPs also requires the bereaved family to inform the police or district office about the funeral for crowd management.
At the same time, social gatherings such as weddings, birthday celebrations, and reunions are prohibited from being held.
In view of this, New Sarawak Tribune spoke with members of the public for their opinion on the matter.
A lot of them viewed the tightening of the SOPs as much-needed, due to the spike in cases.
They also understood that although it would be difficult to hold proper ceremonies due to the restriction, it is more important to ensure that Covid-19 doesn’t keep spreading.
Brandon Beckham
It’s definitely an effective measure to prevent new clusters from emerging from such gatherings where the likelihood of individuals making contact with someone with the virus is high. However, affected families might find it difficult to hold a proper ceremony. But for the sake of public health and curbing the spread of Covid-19, everyone should comply with the procedures set by the government.
Daryll Ambang Tanjong
The presence of authorities will certainly fortify the discipline of the public to adhere to tightened SOPs. Personally, I believe it will be effective in reducing the risk of transmission. I am a little concerned, however, that certain people may not feel the need to inform authorities for crowd management but I hope they realise its importance. This is a wakeup call to all Sarawakians that we must be more vigilant to ensure public safety.
Rizzo Mungka Rechie
It is a very wise decision made by the SDMC to reduce the probability of transmission in local areas. I hope that everyone will play their part and follow the instructions given by the government as it is better to be safe than sorry. Let’s do our best to not gather yet during this pandemic so that it can end soon.
Crystal Jane Shim
I think this is a necessary step to be taken by SDMC as crowd management will help to maintain social distancing and reduce the probability of the virus from spreading. In my opinion, I think families holding funerals or social activities should follow the tightened SOPs if they truly care for the safety of their loved ones and the whole of society.
Aileen Kumang
I think it is necessary to impose stricter SOPs on the public. It is crucial for the government to come out with tighter SOPs provided that it must be strictly enforced. I believe minimising the number of individuals attending social activities will certainly help combat the spread of the virus.
Leandro Mcrae
It is best for the SDMC to take this measure because we must make sure that the cases decrease. We all saw how one individual became a super spreader, and because this individual attended a funeral service, the virus has now spread to throughout Sarawak. The measures taken by SDMC are really needed right now. Whether they are the family members or friends, it is really important that everyone comply with the SOPs,
Alexander Joseph
For me, the method chosen by SDMC is definitely going to help curb the spread of Covid-19 especially at high-risk areas. It is crucial for us to join forces with the authorities to ensure that this virus will be taken care of as soon as possible. Family members, relatives and friends, please comply with all the SOPs prepared by the authorities to ensure that we can break the chain of infection.
