Don’t add to the haze and heat with open burning, deputy premier tells Sarawakians

KUCHING, April 20 — Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Datuk Douglas Uggah today warned the public not to burn anything in the open as that will worsen the haze situation in the state.

He said the Air Pollutant Index (API) for Sarawak has seen unhealthy levels with readings at 50 and above in the past few days.

“We all should play our parts to protect us all from the hazy conditions,” he told reporters after chairing the SDMC meeting here.

He also advised the public to report to the Natural Resources and Environment Board, Fire and Rescue Department or the Department of Environment if they come across any fires in the open.

Uggah, who is also Sarawak deputy premier, also advised people to seek medical treatment if they are experiencing any form of sicknesses due to the haze.

At the same SDMC meeting, Professor Dr David Perera of the Institute of Health and Community Medicine (IHCM) in Universiti Malaysia Sarawak said the state authorities have recorded six Covid-19 cases caused by the new XBB1.16 variant, also known as Arcturus, since the start of the year.

He said the new variant had been responsible for the dramatic rise in positive cases recently in India and other countries. "The World Health Organisation has categorised the Arcturus variant as a variant under monitoring due to its potential for increased infectivity and pathogenicity.

“Given the detection of the Arcturus variant in the state, the general public is strongly advised to be aware of the heightened risk of increased infection rate.

“Everyone must take the necessary precautions to avoid infection and prevent the spread to vulnerable individuals, particularly during the coming festive season,” Dr Perera said.

He added the other variant detected in Sarawak is the XBB1.11.1 with 12 cases so far.

He said XBB1.11.1 has been circulating predominantly in South-east Asia. Dr Perera said the IHCM which is tracking the SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating in Sarawak had successfully sequenced 33 samples between February 20 to April 13, 2023.

He said these samples are positive cases obtained predominantly in Kuching while Serian contributed one and Sibu contributed two cases.

“The Omicron VOC remains the dominant circulating variant with several different XBB.1 sub-variants circulating,” he said, using the abbreviation for variant of concern.