THE Sarawak deputy chief minister has dismissed suggestions that Kuching, a Covid-19 red zone, be placed under the enhanced movement-control order (EMCO) to break the chain of infections.

It would be overkill, said Douglas Uggah Embas, likening the move to killing a fly using a rifle.

“We cannot put Kuching in total lockdown. It is the administrative headquarters of the state and a commercial centre,” Uggah, who is also state Disaster Management Committee chairman, told a daily coronavirus briefing today.

“Yes, the EMCO has proven successful in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, but we have to be careful (with the decisions we make).”

Despite Kuching recording another Covid-19 death today, bringing the district’s tally to 10 and state count to 16, Uggah said the Sarawak capital has not reached a figure that necessitates the EMCO.

The latest death is a 72-year-old from the coastal town of Lingga, 235km from Kuching. Yesterday, the number of infections in Kuching rose by 17, taking the total to 297.

Uggah said medical statisticians are plotting reported cases in the district, and in the next few days, will draw a conclusion on the pattern of the spread.

He said this will allow the authorities to decide whether specific areas in Kuching need to be locked down, “so we can focus on tackling the situation there”.

“The map will help us draw up specific strategies.”

The initial study showed that infections are not concentrated in a particular area, but “scattered all over”, he said.

Uggah said he does not believe a lockdown will be imposed anywhere in Sarawak, adding that there is a low chance of the outbreak worsening.

It was reported that the latest Covid-19 victim had underlying health problems, such as high blood pressure, a growth in the stomach, epigastric and melaenic stool. – April 22, 2020.