KUCHING: The highest daily death toll of 20 cases recorded in Sarawak yesterday was due to a backlog in cases and did not reflect the real situation in the state.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said of the 20 deaths reported, 11 of them were recorded on Sept 17, four deaths (Sept 18), two deaths (Sept 15) and one death each on Sept 6, 7 and 16.
“The backlog or delay in reporting the death is because the hospital needs to conduct a post-mortem to ascertain whether it is caused by Covid-19 or not,” he told a press conference on the establishment of the Covid-19 Public Awareness Working Committee here today.
Meanwhile, Uggah said Sarawak was ramping up efforts to raise public awareness on Covid-19 ahead of the transition to the endemic phase at the latest by the end of this year.
To realise the state government’s aspiration, he said the Covid-19 Public Awareness Working Committee led by the Sarawak Public Communications Unit (Ukas) had been established.
The committee comprises representatives from agencies under the Communications and Multimedia Ministry such as the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama), RTM and the State Information Department.
Uggah said a more effective and systematic approach such as public health education programmes must be carried out in collaboration with the Health Ministry so that people would have a better understanding of the current situation.
In another development, he said Sarawak would receive its CanSino vaccine supplies tomorrow and on Wednesday (Sept 21) before being distributed to hard-to-reach interior areas where some Penan communities have yet to get vaccinated. – Bernama
