KUCHING, Dec 7 — Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah today said people, especially those in the tourism industry, do not need to be unduly alarmed over the recent rise in Covid-19 cases in Malaysia

He said he is sure the Ministry of Health (MoH) will know what to do if there is a surge in infections.

"But at the moment, everything is very much under control. That is how I look at it,” he told reporters after launching the Sarawak Tourism Board’s (STB) Integrity Policies Book and Integrity Day here.

"We have not come to a stage where we need to act. If it has reached that stage, even my ministry will come up with a proper guideline on staging tourism events and tourist arrivals in the state,” he said.

"Unlike in the past, we can still afford to smile with the present Covid-19 situation,” he said, adding that the rate of fatalities is less than 10 per cent.

He, however, advised the elderly to take extra precautions, saying that they remain vulnerable.

According to MoH data on December 3, a total of 3,626 Covid-19 cases were reported from November 19 to 25, which is an increase of 57.3 per cent compared to the 2,305 cases recorded from the previous week.

Health director-general Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan had said that 48 per cent of cases involved those between the ages of 20 and 40, with more than 98 per cent of them having only mild symptoms.

He said there are eight Covid-19 clusters still active reported with 121 cases involved.