MIRI: Miri City mayor Adam Yii has appealed to the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) to consider lifting the strict rule imposed for the city.
This is considering that the city has recorded single-digit Covid-19 cases daily for the past four weeks and has achieved herd immunity.
Yii expressed his understanding and agreement towards SDMC’s decision on imposing the strict standard operating procedures (SOPs), considering that the overall number of cases in Sarawak remains high with the invasion of the Delta variant.
He also expressed gratitude towards the Miri Divisional Disaster Management Committee (MDDMC) for their efforts in protecting Miri City from the Delta variant from other parts of Sarawak.
“With SMDC’s statement on August 16, I received feedback from the public with regards to the renewed SOP,” said Yii who is also Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Publicity and Information secretary in a media statement on Monday (Aug 23).
“After much consideration for those unvaccinated due to special conditions, discussions with members of the public, and studying the comments from leaders of various political parties, I had decided to raise an appeal to SDMC to consider the loosening of SOPs for Miri City,” Yii said.
Yii said that save for the few clusters which had been quickly isolated and put under control, the virus did not spread from these clusters to the community.
“Considering the good performance of Miri citizens in breaking the chain of infection, the government should consider allowing Miri to focus on rebuilding its economy. We should encourage business activities and learn to coexist with the Covid 19 virus,” he opined.
In line with the SDMC’s announcement, the mayor urged unvaccinated individuals to obtain medical advice on their eligibility to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.
“Should they be unfit to receive the vaccine, medical doctors should produce a valid and certified medical note for the individual,” he said.
He advised those who are unvaccinated to avoid high-risk locations, crowded places, and poorly ventilated places as much as possible.
Yii also requested to the SDMC to give a longer grace period to encourage unvaccinated citizens to register to be vaccinated, saying that the vaccination centres (PPVs) in Miri can provide the vaccination services promptly.
He also expressed his concerns to SDMC for the inconvenience the renewed SOP brings to those who had only received the first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine, as some of them would only receive their second dose in September.
Yii also requested for employers to encourage their employees to be vaccinated as soon as possible.
“But this should not be made a prerequisite of their employment or job security. Try to collaboratively formulate a method on how the employee can maintain job security and remain safe in the workplace,” he said.
For those who are not willing to be vaccinated, Yii urged them to seek professional medical advice to eliminate any misunderstandings regarding the vaccine rather than believing in unverified information online.
However, the mayor reminded the public not to discriminate against them, and he especially condemned those who harass individuals who don’t want to be vaccinated.
“Vaccination should be voluntary and everyone should respect each other’s choice. No one should be forced, condemned, or bullied,” he said.
Yii also reminded Mirians to stay united and not discriminate against anyone.
He applauded Miri for lending a helping hand to those in need during the previous movement control order (MCO) as it demonstrates the love and care Miri has for its community.
“Together, we will conquer this pandemic and look forward to being completely free it,” he said.
Yii strongly believes that as long as the citizens of Miri City work together, they would be able to achieve his slogan — “Together we build a better Miri”.
