KUCHING: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian has urged everyone to practise safety measures, including self-assessment, self-testing and self-isolation as Sarawak enters Phase 4 of the National Recovery Plan and the stage of living with the Covid-19 virus.
“Self-assessment on your risk exposure to yourself and also to your loved ones. Self-test regularly for yourself, your loved ones, and your colleagues, especially if you don’t feel well.
“Self-isolation if you are positive (self-reporting) or highly suggested even if you are negative as there can be two to three days of incubation before testing positive,” he said in a Facebook post on Saturday (Jan 29).
The Public Health, Housing and Local Government Minister said even if one felt well, they should isolate themselves, pointing out that the Omicron variant was milder and much more infectious than the Delta variant.
“If you pass the infection to others, especially the elderly and those with risk factors, they can be very sick and may lose their lives,” he said.
In addition, he said if a person infected many of their colleagues at work, there may be severe disruption of the workplace or even temporary closure of the workplace.
“Our hospitals may end up like last year with the intensive care unit (ICU) and medical staff overburdened with the number of cases from the Omicron surge,” said Dr Sim, who is also Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) advisor.
He said the Omicron surge was already in West Malaysia and warned of a surge in Sarawak soon with the festive season travelling.
On top of the aforementioned safety measures, he also urged people to undergo self-monitoring at home and to beware of silent hypoxia.
“Know when to seek medical help. Let’s reduce brought-in-dead (BID) cases,” he said.
He called on the public to wear face masks, comply with the standard operating procedure (SOP) and get vaccinated.
“We have prepared Sarawak as best as we can, but we need you to play your role and do your part. Together, we shall ride through the Covid-19 pandemic including the Omicron wave,” said Dr Sim.
