Avoid non-essential travel to peninsula, advises Sarawak

The Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee has urged members of the public to practise good personal hygiene at all times.

KUCHING: The Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee (JPBN) has advised the people to postpone non-essential travel to and from the peninsula.

In a statement today, it said with the coming school holidays, the public was advised not to go for holidays with their children to affected countries or states.

Members of the public are also advised to practise good personal hygiene and to wear face mask if unwell.

“Those having flu, fever, cough and breathing difficulties are strongly advised to seek immediate medical treatment,” it said.

As of today, Sarawak has reported a total of 262 Person-Under-Investigation (PUI) cases since Jan 10.

Of this number, 237 have tested negative while results of the others are pending.

JPBN said Sarawak was prepared to tackle the virus threat after the number of cases increased in the peninsula.

On the World Health Organization characterising the outbreak of the new coronavirus as a pandemic yesterday, JPBN advised any government or public gathering, involving more than 500 people, to be postponed.

“It is also advisable that temperature screening and hand sanitisers be made available at all public places or offices,” it said.

The committee also advised anyone from Sarawak who had attended the mass tabligh gathering of 10,000 at the Sri Petaling Mosque in Kuala Lumpur from Feb 27 to March 1 to visit the nearest hospital or health centre for health screening.

So far, one Bruneian, a Malaysian and several Singaporeans are known to have contracted the Covid-19 virus after attending the gathering. - FMT