KUCHING: Sarawak should establish Quarantine and Low-Risk Treatment Centres (PKRCs) in areas with rising positive Covid-19 cases, said Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing.
“Kapit Division will soon be running out of Covid-19 facilities if the present trend of Covid-19 is still rising.
“Dewan Suarah and Indoor Stadium are used for those who are Covid-19 positive. At any one time, there are on average 130 positive cases per day in Kapit. PUI (persons under investigation) are placed at Asrama Belia and Rumah Temuai.
“The more serious cases are placed in Kapit General Hospital. Kapit Hospital is now also full,” he said in a statement today (June 2).
The Baleh assemblyman said both Dewan Suarah and Indoor Stadium in Kapit will also run out of space for Covid-19 positive cases soon.
To resolve the issue, he stressed that PKRCs should be built in Kapit, Bintulu, Miri, and other areas experiencing Covid-19 spikes.
In Kapit, for instance, Masing said a PKRC should be built within the vicinity of Baleh Dam, where Covid-19 clusters had been found.
“This will reduce the pressure on the use of Dewan Suarah for Covid-19 positive cases. In this way, we can isolate Covid-19 positive cases from non-Covid-19 positive cases. The chain of spread, therefore, can be cut,” he said.
He said at the same time there should be a hard push for vaccinations to create sufficient herd immunity.
“By building PKRCs and having an aggressive push for vaccinations, we are attacking Covid-19 on two fronts. In this way, we are in a better position to fight Covid-19 in a shorter time,” he said.
Masing said that funds would be well-spent for the construction of PKRCs in red zone areas, pointing out that once Covid-19 is contained in the near future, the buildings could be used for other purposes.
