KUCHING: The people should be focused on playing their part in containing the spread of Covid-19 regardless of whether or not Kuching is a yellow or red zone, said Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian.
He explained the much delayed press statement on the Covid-19 update on July 25 was because Sarawak Health Department was going through all the cases to ensure the number of local transmissions in the last 14 days was 39 cases instead of 41 cases as reported by Ministry of Health (MOH).
“All the definitions of zone, local transmission, imported cases are done by MOH. Sarawak Health Department being its agency will follow but we must also not follow blindly in case they are wrong.
“MOH definition of active cases included imported and local transmissions in the last 14 days. While definition of zone status is only on local transmission of the 29 cases in the last 14 days,” he said in a Facebook post.
Dr Sim said the people must believe the locals experts in the state as they are on the ground and know better.
“This is also one of the reasons I had told MOH that Sarawak government position is (to get) health autonomy. Sarawak will do a better job,” he said.
He pointed out that because the MOH declared Kuching as red zone, and Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) declared as yellow zone, there were many armchair critics, netizens including a few opportunist politicians who were very much excited because of the difference in the number of reported cases for Kuching in the last 14 days.
“Whether Kuching is red or not, additional new public measures for Kuching District will need to be introduced over the next few days.
“However, no matter what policy or measures Sarawak government introduces, we will not able to win the war against Covid-19 unless the public play their role and do their part.
“We need every Sarawakian’s solidarity and we can do it together as seen in the success of flattening the first wave of the virus,” he said.
