KUCHING: The Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) is in the best position to coordinate, monitor and manage the Covid-19 pandemic in an integrated and holistic manner, said Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah.
The Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development (KWKPK) Minister stated that Sarawak is very fortunate to have SDMC.
In stating that, she said the professionals also form an integral part of SDMC in combating and containing the spread of Covid-19.
“The daily reports, concerns and advice by the professionals specifically from the medical team help form the basis of policies and decision making by SDMC. Apart from playing advisory roles based on their area of expertise and professional knowledge, they are also responsible for treating Covid-19 victims.
“Speed is of the essence and in order to do this, funding is needed for the whole chain of addressing Covid-19 namely trace, track, test, treat, isolate and the latest is to vaccinate. We are talking about funds in the hundreds of millions here.
“We are very fortunate to have SDMC and Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg has always been supportive especially on funding. The lives of our people matter,” she said.
She pointed out that combating Covid-19 also entails looking after the welfare of people involved which was entrusted to the welfare department.
“The welfare department helps to implement the decision made by SDMC to provide packed foods to those who are quarantined and all frontliners, along with essential dry food items to areas under lockdown.
“There is a lot to do, considering the number of areas and people under lockdown. It also includes the quantity of essential items like rice, sugar, coffee, tea, cooking oil and canned foods that must be ordered, packed and distributed.
“The welfare department often needs help from the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), Civil Defence Force (APM), the People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela), volunteers from non-government organisations (NGOs), youth groups and community leaders. The safety unit, National Safety Council (MKN) and the various division disaster management committees also help us,” she added.
As for the Covid-19 situation in Sibu district, she said the lifting of the movement control order (MCO) was not the cause of the rising number of cases.
She also said that the current strategy to implement targeted lockdowns is to curb the transmission of Covid-19.
“The effects will only be seen 14 days after the incubation period but the number of cases is seen to have immediately increased. This shows that the rise in the number of cases happened during the MCO itself.
“The current strategy is to do a targeted lockdown especially in Sibu Jaya. It is known that 70 percent of the positive cases come from there, which is considered as a hotspot area. That is why it is now under a total lockdown,” she added.
