BINTULU: Arrangements are made as quickly as possible to move Covid-19 positive cases in this district out of home quarantine.
In making this known, local member of parliament Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said currently, the health authorities are only able to arrange for patients to be admitted to Quarantine and Low-Risk Treatment Centres (PKRCs) and hospitals based on their physical condition and symptoms.
“We have set up a special operations to monitor cases quarantined at home with a 24-hour emergency service line.
“It is hoped that call cases will cooperate strongly and not leave home without permission during their quarantine period or else they will be penalised for violation of their quarantine,” he said in a Facebook post yesterday.
He added that many of the PKRCs and hospitals in Bintulu are filled to the brim, and there are many confirmed patients isolated at home are worried about the health of their families.
“But there is just no way to admit them into professional care so quickly. I therefore hope more people will understand and make the effort and take responsibility to help prevent Covid-19.
“Everyone has the obligation and responsibility to prevent the pandemic from worsening. We must learn to co-exist with this coronavirus, and do not think that anyone is immune and do not take precautions. Otherwise, they will be the ones begging for help,” he stressed.
He also hit back at those who insulted the Bintulu frontliners and urged them to stop cursing and expecting the frontliners to do better.
“We don’t want frontliners, who have been working day and night to protect the health of the people, rewarded with curses.
“If it were not for the standard operating procedures (SOPs), people would be free to dine out and spread the virus all over Bintulu.
“Some have even resorted to insulting my late mother. How long must they go until they are satisfied with themselves?
“If these people have any grievances, they can target me, but there is no need to insult others,” he said.
Tiong said he is extremely tired of the Internet trolls who have made no contributions to the struggle but like to use bad words against the wrong people.
“They have never really thought about the root causes of the recurrence of the pandemic in Bintulu.
“Besides the public disregard for the SOPs, the main contributors to the increased number of cases are uncaring groups who illegally bring in untested foreign workers, rent out rooms to tenants without testing them and people going out unnecessarily,” he said.
Until today, he said, there have been more than 50 confirmed cases among those under 18 years with the youngest being merely two years old.
“Are we not guilty of letting these young children get infected? Isn’t it due to parental negligence? In Sarawak, the worst case is that the youngest victim of Covid-19 is only one year old,” he said.
Tiong thus said this should have already served as a wake-up call on how serious the virus is.
