KUCHING: Covid-19 may be here to stay for quite some time; thus, the people must learn to cope and live with it.
Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, who pointed this out, said the pandemic had already taught the people how to take precautions and look after themselves.
He said Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin recently mentioned that the country would relax the restrictions on the movements of the people who have been fully vaccinated.
“Thus, when the time comes, the people must already know the Covid-19 preventive standard operating procedures (SOPs).
“It is not just Malaysia that is doing this. Other countries are doing it (slowly relaxing the restrictions) as well.
“That is why Malaysia is trying to achieve herd immunity by inoculating every eligible person in the population.
“When people, who have completed both vaccine doses visit certain countries, these countries will feel much safer,” he said when fielding questions on the opening of borders on Saturday (Aug 7).
Likewise, Abdul Karim said Sarawak would also feel safer when fully vaccinated visitors entered the state.
“However, for the time being, those from outside Sarawak cannot freely enter the state yet,” he said.
The Asajaya assemblyman also said he would like to see Malaysia slowly opening up just like Singapore.
“Singapore’s outlook towards Covid-19 is slightly different from ours. It does not focus on how many Covid-19 cases are there. You don’t see Singapore showing the numbers anymore because it has achieved herd immunity.
“We don’t have to tell the whole world that today we (Malaysia) have 10,000 cases. That will only create false alarm.”
Abdul Karim reiterated that people had to learn to live with Covid-19 and continue to observe all SOPs.
“Having said that, to me, in a way there is a blessing from this pandemic as now we are now more cautious.
“Things have changed and they are changing for the better,” he said.
Earlier on, Karim met with Sarawak athletes in Kuching at the Pandelela Rinong Aquatic Centre in Petra Jaya.
