SIBU, Jan 7 — The state government should strictly enforce quarantine in quarantine centres without exception for everyone entering Sarawak to curb the spread of Covid-19, said Sibu Division Chinese Community Leaders Association chairman Temenggong Datuk Vincent Lau.

He said the mandatory 14-day quarantine period at the designated centres should be applied to all, including political leaders and ‘very, very important persons’ (VVIPs) who are entering the state.

"It is hoped that our political leaders will set a good example and take the initiative to fully comply with the SOPs, especially if they return to Sarawak from the red-zones,” Lau said at a joint press conference with the United Chinese Association (UCA), Sibu Division, Sibu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) and Federation of Seven Clan Association.

The state authorities currently give exemptions to certain categories of people, including elected representatives, from being quarantined at centres when they return to Sarawak. The move has been met with criticism from certain quarters.

To accommodate the increasing number of people coming back to the state, Lau said more quarantine centres needed to be set up.

"We understand that our Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) is having some difficulties in terms of arranging suitable quarantine centres and because of that, the quarantine centres had been compromised.

"Certain places including Sibu, because people cannot be accommodated in the quarantine centres, therefore they are allowed to go home to be quarantined. That kind of quarantine is equivalent to zero quarantine,” he said.

SDMC yesterday reported that among the five new cases in Sarawak was a Sarawakian woman who returned from Johor with two children and were given wristbands and ordered to undergo home quarantine.

They were tested upon arrival at the Sibu Airport on Jan 4 and the woman’s results later came back positive. She was reported to be asymptomatic.

Lau hoped that the government would provide and ensure that there was sufficient quarantine infrastructures and facilities for those returning to the state.

He also believed that the number of Covid-19 cases would increase in the next two weeks due to the falling rate of compliance with standard operating procedures (SOPs) as more people were leaving their homes for non-essential travel and for social gatherings.

He pointed out that the war to curb the Covid-19 pandemic was not over and the battle was getting tougher.

He said the cooperation of the people and the government was required to fight the pandemic effectively.

Also present at the press conference were UCA president Ngieng Ping Sing, SCCCI president Datuk Lau Cheng Kiong and Federation of Seven Clan Association deputy chairman Ying Tieng Chai. — Borneo Post