Sarawak spent RM96 million to enforce COVID-19 containment - Uggah

KUCHING: The Sarawak government spent about RM96 million between March and October this year to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and manage the welfare of the people, Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said today.

He said the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chaired by him had implemented a number of strategies to ensure the success of the full containment policy, including the provision of sufficient medical equipment, adequate quarantine centres, and free quarantine for returning Sarawakians.

“The goal is to have every single district in the green (COVID-19 free) and for Sarawak to be COVID-19 free,” he said in his winding-up speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly here.

He said the strategies also involved supplying food and providing logistic support for frontliners and distribution of food assistance to those in need, especially during the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) and Targeted Enhanced Movement Control Order (TEMCO).

“(The state government has been) organising and supporting the return of Sarawakians, namely 10,311 students and 670 teachers returning to Sarawak during the EMCO (and) ensuring that all 12 Divisional Disaster Committees have sufficient operational funds,” he said.

Uggah, who is also the state Second Finance Minister and Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development, said the use of online applications like EnterSarawak and EHealth declaration form was also enforced to track and regulate the movements of people in and out of the state.

In addition, he said mobilisation of manpower and periodic or daily conference call meetings with SDMC members were also conducted to allow for quick decision making across the state.

He said the Sarawak government concurred with the appeal made by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin during the 23rd ASEAN-China Summit yesterday to make the availability of successfully developed COVID-19 vaccines to Malaysia a top priority.

“The SDMC would also like to thank China’s contribution and support for ASEAN’s initiatives for public health emergencies and record our appreciation towards President Xi Jinping for pledging to make the vaccine a global public good,” he added.

-- BERNAMA