THE dine-in ban, shortened business hours and restricted movements in eight of Sarawak’s southern districts have been extended by another week to September 5.

They were to have ended on Sunday.

The state disaster management committee said the eat-out ban, 5am to 8pm business hours and a 10pm to 5am curfew in the districts of Kuching, Bau, Lundu, Samarahan, Asajaya, Simunjan, Serian and Tebedu, could not be lifted just yet due to the “alarming level” of new Covid-19 infections daily.

Of the 2,224 new cases reported in the state today, the bulk of the new cases were reported in Kuching district, with 906 infections.

Samarahan trails with 210 cases, Serian (158), Simunjan (96), Bau (69), Lundu (50), Asajaya (38) and Tebedu (28).

These districts, where the Delta variant of the Covid-19 is most prevalent, are adjacent to one another.

Elsewhere in the state, phase 3 of the national recovery plan (NRP) standard operating procedure (SOP) applies, though the SOP in one division might differ from another.

An administrative division is made up of a number of districts. For example, Kuching division is made up of the district with the same name, Bau and Lundu.

Movements between the eight districts and the state’s other 32 districts have also been tightened.

Previously, only a police permit was required to make the inter-district travel.

However, in the next one week, those who want to travel need to show proof they have taken the rt-PCR or RTK Antigen Covid-19 test at an approved Health Ministry medical clinic and are negative when applying for the police permit.

The disaster committee said appointments for the tests could be made from Monday.

Sarawak also reported three more Covid-19-linked deaths today – two in Kuching and one in Song district in central Sarawak.

All are males aged between 17 and 78.

Their deaths bring the state’s death toll from the infection to 513.

There were also eight new clusters reported today – six community and two workplace clusters. – August 27, 2021.