SIBU: Vaccination against Covid-19 has saved the people from getting worse following outbreak of the Delta variant.
Assistant Minister of Local Government and Housing Dr Annuar Rapaee who is also Sibu Division Disaster Management Committee coordinator, said the vaccination had greatly reduced the risk of Covid-19 among the public.
Dr Annuar, who is also Assistant Minister of Education, Science and Technological Research said he was thankful that the vaccination programme in the district was done quickly before the outbreak of the Delta variant.
“We are thankful that the Covid-19 Delta variant surfaced only after the vaccination rate in Sibu was very high.
“Due to the high percentage of vaccination, the cases of Covid-19 patients in Categories 3, 4 and 5 are very low even though our cases have increased,” he said.
Dr. Annuar noted that the clinical category of Covid-19 positive patients in Sibu this week (Aug 29 to Sept 4) was 99.78 percent for Categories 1 and 2.
“For Category 3, it is 0.07 percent while for Category 4, it is 0.15 percent and zero percent for Category 5.
“This is an effect of our vaccination programme. Vaccines saved us; else, the situation would have been worse,” he said.
Touching on the home quarantine decision for Category 1 and 2 patients announced by the Sibu Divisional Health Department recently, he said it was to enable the department to begin providing services to non-Covid-19 patients.
He explained that home quarantine could not be implemented previously since the people had not been fully vaccinated.
“The criteria for home quarantine are very strict. For Covid-19 Category 3, 4 and 5 patients they are not allowed to be quarantined at home and need to be admitted to PKRC or hospital,” he said.
Dr Annuar pointed out that longhouse residents would not be permitted to undergo quarantine at home due to unsuitable living conditions apart from being far from the hospital.
