RE-IMPOSING the inter-district travel ban, particularly into and out of Kuching to curb the spread of the Covid-19, is not on the cards for now, state disaster management committee chairman Douglas Uggah Embas said today.

This is despite the district being the epicentre of the spike in infections with 81 of the state’s 89 active cases, and having four – Greenhill, Bah Arnab, Baki and Seladah – of the five Covid-19 clusters in the state.

The other cluster, Putra, is in Bintulu.

Uggah, who is also the state’s deputy chief minister, said travel in and out of Kuching is highly discouraged “if they have no pressing or urgent reason to do so”.

“Just stay home and stay safe,” he said when talking to reporters after visiting the operation room to monitor compliance of the enhanced movement-control order (EMCO) at Kg Haji Baki this morning.

EMCO in the village, about 10km from Kuching city, came into effect yesterday.

It became the first area in the state to come under enhanced lockdown.

Some 4,196 people from 627 homes are now confined to their houses until November 10.

The state enforced a travel ban at the end of March during the conditional movement-control order (CMCO), when the state was registering cases in the high 30s.

It was only lifted on June 10 when the Sarawak government implemented the recovery movement-control order (RMCO).

On the EMCO at Kg Haji Baki, Uggah said it had to be done as the increasing number of positive cases was worrying.

Two of Kuching’s clusters – Bah Arnab and Baki – are from the village.

He said the disaster management committee had to consider a lot of factors, including discussing with the Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg before reaching the decision to enforce the EMCO only in the village and not in the whole district.

“We have cases in other areas of Kuching like the Green Hill area where the number of positive cases had shot up to 20 yesterday.

“That, too, is worrying us. Those in the Green Hill cluster live in many parts of the city.

“Fortunately, many of them have come forward to get themselves tested at either private hospitals or government clinics on their own.”

Uggah said if the EMCO had been enforced district-wide, the people, particularly the business community, would face a lot of hardship.

However, all entertainment outlets – bars, lounges, karaoke outlets, pubs – as well as gyms,  public or private, have been ordered shut immediately.

The operating hours of all eating places in the district are now back to what it was during the CMCO in March – from 6am to 10pm – and all public gatherings are limited to 200 people.

On the first day of the EMCO yesterday, around 845 villagers turned up at the compound of the village mosque, where a temporary Covid-19 screening centre was set up, to get tested.

“We only expected 600. This showed they understand what we are doing, which is not to cause hardship or inconvenience them, but to control further spread of the infection,” Uggah said.

A temporary clinic had also been set up to cater for expectant mothers, those who have appointments at the nearby – but outside the EMCO area - Sentosa hospital for their supply of medicines.

“I am confident with the preparations that we have put in place, we will have a successful operation,” Uggah said. – October 29, 2020.