INTER-DISTRICT travel will be monitored more strictly in Sarawak after a Bintulu woman, who had visited relatives in the red zone of Samarahan, tested positive upon her return home.

Deputy Chief Minister Douglas Uggah said he had instructed the police to be “very stringent” in granting travel permits that allow movement between districts.

The woman’s case means Bintulu has lost its green zone status. It is now in the yellow zone.

She was tested after the relatives she visited in Kota Samarahan, some 500km away from Bintulu, tested positive for the Covid-19 virus.

Contact tracing by the state Health Department led to the discovery.

Uggah, who also chairs the state Disaster Management Committee, in his daily Covid-19 briefing today, said the woman was asymptomatic.

He said contact tracing is ongoing for passengers of the bus she took to return to Bintulu.

“This is the reason why we are very strict in inter-district travel, especially from red to green areas.

“You never know (who has the virus) until they are tested.”

Sarawak reported eight new positive cases today.

Among them is a man who was tested positive while in a quarantine centre in Limbang after returning from neighbouring Brunei.

He was tested on Day 10 of his 14-day quarantine.

“This case is proof of the importance of our quarantine policy,” Uggah said.

Meanwhile, Ba’Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian expressed concern on Lawas district’s green-zone status after receiving “reliable information” that two persons there have tested positive for Covid-19.

The highland settlement of Ba’Kelalan is a one-hour walk from the border and a major trading post for Indonesians who live along the border there.

“Due to the close proximity, I urge the authorities to be extremely vigilant and strict at all CIQs (Customs, Immigration and Quarantine) and exit/entry points along the border with Kalimantan, especially along the Ba’Kelalan and Bario stretches.

“The same vigilance is also needed to seal off the many ‘jalan tikus’ at various places along the border,” the former works minister said.

He said he has appealed to communities living near the border not to enter the Kalimantan side or receive visitors.

“We need to be extra careful at this time and do our part to prevent the spread of the coronavirus to keep our families and communities safe.” – April 28, 2020.