SIBU: Residents in Zone one to Zone seven welcomes the special movement restrictions announced by the Sibu Division Disaster Management Committee (DDMC) last Wednesday.
The special restrictions under the conditional movement control order (CMCO) is implemented from Apr 16 to Apr 26.
Most residents interviewed by New Sarawak Tribune described it as the best measure for the time being to curb the spread of Covid-19 pandemic, especially in Sibu district.
Ting Ming Kai, 45, from Zone one noted that residents could still go out to buy food and other necessities.
“We understand that implementing the enhanced movement control order (EMCO) is not an easy task, especially in urban areas, unlike in longhouses and villages.
“This method seems loose but hopefully effective. I, as a resident of Zone one, very much welcome this implementation as it is to help the government stop the spread of this virus,” he said.
Ting Kwong Bing, 28, from Zone three also agreed with the implementation of the special movement restriction, describing it as ‘half lockdown’.
He commended the DDMC for implementing the special restriction instead of a total lockdown of the district.
“At least limiting the movement of the public can also contribute to a reduction of cases. In particular, closing the Sibu Central Market, Sibu Night Market and so on can also help to curb the spread.
“In coffee shops it is strictly for takeaways only. This will prevent people from hanging out in the coffee shops even though there are standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place,” he said.
A resident from Zone five, Karen Wong, 33, hoped that residents in the seven zones would comply with the SOPs set.
She said the cooperation of the public was needed to jointly help the government tackle the spread of Covid-19.
“Thankfully, we are only subjected to special movement control, not EMCO. We can still go out, however, the SOP must be strictly followed.
“For me, the implementation of this special movement control is very reassuring and best for those who are in the city,” Karen said.
However, Karen also felt a little upset on why the government did not implement the movement control order (MCO) as Sibu district was recording very high positive cases.
She is aware that MCO is very difficult for some people but it is the best measure to curb the spread of Covid-19.
The special movement control involves residential areas, rental houses and business premises within the city.
