KUCHING: The Sarawak government will bear the cost of quarantine accommodation and Covid-19 testing for Sarawakians returning to the state from overseas, assured Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
He said all Sarawakians returning to the state from overseas are required to undergo mandatory 14-day quarantine.
Within this period, he said they would undergo two rounds of Covid-19 testing — on Day 2 and Day 10 respectively.
“The federal government has decided that all testing costs for Malaysians coming back from overseas are to be borne by themselves. However, today, I discussed this with Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.
“He has decided that for Sarawakians coming back from overseas and undergoing quarantine and Covid-19 tests in Kuching, the Sarawak government will bear the cost so they do not have to pay for it themselves,” he said at the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) Covid-19 daily update press conference on Tuesday (August 18).
Uggah, who is also SDMC chairman, said that non-Sarawakians (from West Malaysia, Sabah, Labuan, and non-Malaysians) returning from overseas and entering Sarawak would have to bear their own quarantine and testing cost.
These directives would be enforced until August 31 this year.
He emphasised that whoever enters Sarawak, be it from West Malaysia, Sabah, or Labuan, would have to comply with the relevant standard operating procedure (SOP) which will be in effect until August 31.
