'House visits to 4 infected villages' - Health official tells public to think about others

 

Terengganu Health director Dr Nor Azimi Yunus urged the public to think about the consequences of their actions on people around them amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

She shared a cautionary tale of how house visits eventually caused Covid-19 to spread to other villages - infecting family members, neighbours, co-workers and worshippers.

Highlighting the Kampung Matang cluster, which is the largest in Hulu Terengganu, Nor Azimi (above) said investigations showed some had travelled interstate before Hari Raya and visited extended family members.

This led to 19 people from two families being infected with Covid-19.

"After Hari Raya, they returned to work and without releasing it, spread to their co-workers. More concerning is that mosque congregation members were also infected.

"In the end, it spread continuously and you know how the story continues," she shared on Facebook.

Nor Azimi said as a result, the Kampung Matang cluster spread to three other villages - namely Kampung Felcra Bukit Kepah, Kampung Tengkawang and Kampung Pulau Kudat.

"It is these kinds of stories that I often share as a cautionary tale of what will happen if people continuously take the standard operating procedures (SOP) lightly.

"If you want to do something, think about other people. Take care of other people. Don't only think about ourselves," she said.

Nor Azimi said people sometimes take things for granted within their own family.

However, she said when it starts involving a number of families, neighbours and co-workers, it can quickly spread to entire villages.

As a result, Nor Azimi said the Kampung Matang cluster now has 127 people who have been infected with Covid-19 which had spread to the fifth generation.

"The close contacts alone are at 725. This does not include the targeted screenings involving the villages. There are still 975 (test) samples) that are awaiting results.

"If this situation continues and new clusters keep growing, when can we bring all the clusters under control?

"If this continues, how are we going to flatten the curve in these two weeks?" he said.

The country went under a "total lockdown" on June 1 amid the deteriorating Covid-19 situation.

Following the lockdown, daily cases are showing signs of stabilising although they remain elevated.

The government plans to keep the "total lockdown" for two weeks but may extend the lockdown if necessary.

Nor Azimi, who was on the ground to oversee the testing efforts, said medical frontliners are also struggling.

She pointed out there were no air-conditioned facilities at such villagers and medical frontliners have to work under the hot sun while in personal protective equipment.

She added that residents, too, have to bear with the hot weather while waiting under canopies for tests while children cry from nasal swabs.

"Please understand the hardship that affects all of us if the Covid-19 pandemic continues like this. Don't only think about ourselves at the expense of other people," she said.

She urged people to stay at home unless they have important matters to attend to. - Mkini