KUCHING: The National Recovery Plan (NRP) should not be rushed due to the significant rise of Covid-19 cases in the past few days, said Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing.
Following the recommendation, Bintulu MP said for the time being, the most crucial task is to avoid the transmission of the virus.
“We need to deeply think about how to put in place more effective and comprehensive measures to save lives.
“The NRP means nothing if we allow daily confirmed cases to keep on increasing. Compliance with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) is still the most crucial,” he said in a statement on Monday (Aug 30).
He said Bintulu today recorded 98 local cases, including three imported cases, and another 64 listed as ‘inconclusive’.
“With the total number of 165 cases today, this is enough evidence to indicate that Bintulu is entering a very severe period of the pandemic.
“We have broken a significant daily case number in Bintulu with this number of new confirmed cases in a single day, which no one should take lightly regardless of where we are presently in the NRP.
“For me, what we all do in the next few days and weeks is the most critical,” he said.
Speaking on the surge in cases, Tiong said that it (the increasing number of cases) has also prompted the reopening of previously suspended low-risk quarantine and treatment centres (PKRC) to accommodate these cases.
“Seeing one PKRC after another being shut down used to be a very encouraging moment, but it is unfortunate that many people’s complacency has overturned the small gains that we have worked so hard to achieve.
“We must all learn from this. Even if we can successfully flatten the infection curve in the future, we must remember to properly follow the SOPs and not expose ourselves to the risk of infection.
“It is even more vital today to avoid organising and participating in social gatherings, to avoid barbeques, and to avoid going out unless necessary,” he said.
Tiong said that in Bintulu currently, there are 53 positive patients in Stage Three (pulmonary infection) who are still receiving treatment, as well as seven patients in the intensive care unit, of which five patients with coronary artery disease are in Stage Four and two patients in Stage Five who require breathing assistance, while the remaining 1,063 patients are in Stages One and Two.
