MIRI: Members of the public, especially the Dayak community in the Miri Division are urged not to return to their villages or longhouses to celebrate the upcoming Gawai Dayak festival.
Minister-in-charge of Miri Divisional Disaster Management Committee (DDMC) Datuk Lee Kim Shin said his advice followed a discussion with Miri DDMC chairman cum Miri Acting Resident Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusuf.
Lee, who is also Transport Minister, stressed that this measure was important in line with the circuit breaker about the conditional movement control order (CMCO) standard operating procedure (SOP) announced by the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC).
“Miri DDMC is very serious about this matter. We do not want Covid-19 to once again spread to the rural or interior areas as this will jeopardise our efforts to break the chain of transmissions,” he said in a statement today.
Miri DDMC in an earlier media statement had said that 11 longhouses in Miri Division – five in Beluru District, four in Subis District, and two in Marudi District – had completed their period of movement restriction.
It said two more localities had just ended their period of movement restriction, namely a longhouse in Subis district and a primary school in Beluru district.
This left just one more locality which was still under the movement restriction order, namely a longhouse, Rumah Genatan, Sungai Kenyalang, in Subis district.
“The public is reminded not to cross districts or zones to return to their respective villages to celebrate Gawai Dayak,” said Lee.
“Apart from that, public members are also advised to comply with the Gawai celebration standard operating procedures (SOPs) during the CMCO and enhanced movement control order (EMCO) issued by the Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) and the Council for Native Customs and Traditions (MAIS),” he added.
He said it was important for people in the urban areas not to return to the longhouses during this time.
“Protect our family members especially senior citizens; those with comorbidities such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and so on; those with disabilities; as well as family members and young children who have not yet been vaccinated from being exposed to Covid-19 infection,” he said.
Miri DDMC once again reminded the public to remain vigilant and always strictly adhere to the Covid-19 prevention SOPs.
