Six districts in Sarawak placed under CMCO, Jan 13-26

KUCHING: The Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee (JPBN) has decided to place six districts under the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) from January 13 to 26 after the state recorded 153 new COVID-19 cases today.

Its chairman, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the CMCO would be enforced in Kuching, Samarahan, Serian, Sibu, Sarikei and Miri districts.

"In view of the increasing COVID-19 positive cases in Kuching, Sibu and Miri each day, this decision has to be made after assessing the situation and taking into account the local transmissions in Sarawak, with 209 cases in the last 14 days," he said at the daily news conference on COVID-19, here, today.

Uggah, who is also Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister, said following the enforcement, entry into Sarawak from the peninsula, Sabah and Labuan would not be allowed except with permission from the police.

"Cross-zone travel within the state is also not allowed (except with a police permit)," he said, adding that Kuching zone comprised Samarahan and Serian, Sibu zone (Sibu and Sarikei) and there was also Miri zone.

Uggah said one more new cluster, Jelita Cluster in Miri, was identified today.

"The index case in this cluster comprises four business partners who came to Miri from Melaka and Pahang and were detected positive for COVID-19 on Dec 31, 2020," he added.

To date, there are six clusters which are still active in Sarawak, namely, Pasai (Sibu), Keranji Tabuan (Kuching), Bah Sayap (Miri), Stutong (Kuching, Serian and Lundu), Mador (Meradong and Sibu) and Jelita (Miri).

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin in his televised special message today on implementation of the Movement Control Order, also announced the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) enforcement throughout Sarawak in the same period.

-- BERNAMA