KUCHING: Political activist Datuk Peter Minos pointed out that a lockdown would be a wise move to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Personally, I think it is wise to do something drastic before deaths happen,” he said.
“If deaths happen, there will be no choice but for a whole or partial lockdown. The government must look and study the situation very carefully,” he commented further.
Another concerned Sarawakian, Hadzman Johny, echoed Minos’ views, saying that such a drastic measure should be taken before it was too late.
“I support the government to order a targeted lockdown of one to two weeks as the cases of infection are rising.
“The federal government should realise that not all states are well-equipped with adequate medical equipment,” he said.
“If you look at the Sarawak General Hospital, how many Covid-19 patients can it handle at one time? Do we have enough medical personnel? Honestly, I think we should emulate Singapore’s action. Set up a centre like the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) in Singapore.”
He suggested that to impose a lockdown, the government must give ample time to the public to prepare by stocking up essential items.
Also in support of a lockdown is Petra Jaya Hawkers Association president Mohamad Khairuzie Bolhassan.
“I received many messages on social media regarding our precautionary measures for Metrocity Night Market at Jalan Matang. Many proposed that the market should be closed for two weeks.”
On whether the outbreak already had a major impact on the traders, he said their sales had dropped about 40 to 50 per cent since the second wave of infection hit the country.
A mosque goer at Masjid Al-Taqwa in Gita, Nadrih Sha’ari, said a lockdown should be enforced if the situation across the state worsened.
Describing the pandemic as a test from Allah, he added that Muslims must keep their faith while taking preventive actions.
“As a good Muslim, we must practice high personal hygiene and take care of our health. We shouldn’t wait for others to provide essential goods,” he said.
A fellow mosque goer Syaabah Zaina Abidin also agreed that a lockdown would be the best move.
“Although the government told people not to gather in large crowds, it seems that this has not stopped people from doing so because it’s not mandatory,” he said.
