New SOPs: One-month leeway
Published on: Saturday, August 14, 2021
By: Anthea Peter
Kota Kinabalu: The State Government is giving the public a one-month leeway to get completely vaccinated before fully enforcing the National Security Council’s latest standard operating procedures (SOPs) in mid-September.The new SOPs released on Thursday stipulate that only those fully vaccinated can enter eateries and supermarkets.
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Sabah’s Covid-19 spokesperson Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said the State Government will not be imposing penalties in the first month that the SOPs are in place, as the focus right now is to educate the public on the new regulations and encourage them to get vaccinated.
“Enforcement of SOPs for restaurants and supermarkets at this early stage is more in the form of education and reminders, not for the purpose of imposing penalties.
“We are aware there are those in this sector who have not received the vaccine or have not been completely vaccinated.
“We hope everyone involved in this sector will complete their vaccinations within a month. Enforcement of SOP compliance will be fully implemented thereafter (mid-September),” said Masidi in a statement, Friday.
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He added that employees of supermarkets, restaurants and hotels around Kota Kinabalu can visit the vaccination centre (PPV) at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) to get vaccinated.
“Steps to enforce the new SOPs in restaurants and supermarkets are aimed at ensuring safety and a healthy environment in the retail space. This will provide benefits and health precautions to employees as well as customers. This measure will also reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission while in restaurants and supermarkets,” Masidi explained.
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Meanwhile, the State Government on Friday released the latest SOPs for religious activities at non-Muslim houses of worship under Phase Two of the National Recovery Plan.
Under the new SOPs, Masidi said only those fully vaccinated will be allowed to enter the house of worship and are required to present their digital vaccination certificates to those on duty.
He said only 50 congregants are allowed at a time, or one-third of the building’s capacity on condition of one-metre physical distancing, while worshipping hours are from 6am to 2pm and 4pm to 10pm.
The same conditions apply for marriage blessings, however, limited to a maximum of duration of two hours.
Sabah recorded 1,654 cases on Friday and 15 deaths, with six in Kota Kinabalu, three each in Tawau and Sandakan and one each in Beaufort, Papar and Keningau.
One new cluster was identified in Penampang, named as the Donggongon Cluster, involving workplace transmission within the premise of a statutory body there.
Masidi said the index patient is a 46-year-old woman who was tested positive at a private clinic on Aug 4.
“Aside from one case detected on the same date, 12 colleagues were detected positive on Aug 11, whereas one colleague was detected positive on Aug 12, and another seven colleagues from Putatan and KK were detected positive on Aug 13. Cumulatively, this cluster has recorded 22 cases after screenings conducted on 40 contacts,” Masidi explained.
On Sabah’s daily caseload, Kota Kinabalu topped the list with 351 cases, followed by Tawau with 210 cases, Penampang with 204 cases, Sandakan with 116 cases and Kota Belud with 107 cases.
“There is an upward trend of symptomatic cases in several districts, which indicates that Covid-19 transmission is getting more widespread within the community,” said Masidi.
Districts that have recorded increased symptomatic cases include KK with nearly 37 per cent symptomatic cases, Tawau (43 per cent), Tuaran (41.6 per cent), Penampang (29 per cent) and Sandakan (41 per cent).
Overall, he said, close contacts continued to be the largest contributor with 956 cases, making up 57.8 per cent of the caseload, while symptomatic cases accounted for 31.9 per cent of the caseload with 528 cases.
Of the 1,654 caseload, 20 cases involved babies less than a year old, 102 involved one to five-year-olds, 262 involved six to 17-year-olds, 1,154 involved 18 to 59-year-olds, whereas 116 cases involved those aged above 60 years.
The caseload also comprises 1,474 Malaysians and 280 non-Malaysians, 1,633 local cases and 21 imported cases, while 1,042 are unvaccinated and 218 have completed both doses. Masidi said the number of patients in category two was increasing compared to those in category one.
“On Aug 13, 60.2 per cent or 995 cases are in category two, and 360 cases are in category one. Eight people are in category three, four are in category four and three are in category give,” he said. Some 792 Covid-19 patients have been discharged from the hospital while 5,124 patients are currently receiving treatment at hospitals and low risk quarantine and treatment centres (PKRCs).
Masidi said 157 patients are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), with 60 needing ventilator support, adding Sabah’s bed capacity is at 7,274 units with a bed occupancy rate of 70.36 per cent.
On Sabah’s immunisation programme, Masidi said the State Health Department has administered 54,091 doses on Aug 12, which nearly reaches the department’s target of administering 59,000 doses a day.
“As of Aug 12, 43.9 per cent of Sabah’s adult population have obtained the first dose, while 19.6 per cent have completed both doses,” said Masidi.
As part of phase two of the programme, 25,245 individuals have received their first dose, bringing the tally to 1,173,927 while 28,846 have received their second dose, bringing the tally to 489,081.
Meanwhile, nine localities will be placed under EMCO starting Aug 15 to 28, namely three KK localities (Kg Pulutan and Kg Mansiang in Manggatal and Hyatt Centric Construction Site), two Beaufort localities (Kg Brunei, Membakut and Rumah Kongsi Tapak Bina Prima, Lumat), Kg Mangaris 2, Kota Marudu, Kg Contoh, Putatan and Lorong Mat Salleh Bt. 2, Jalan Apas, Tawau.
Existing EMCOs in four localities will extended from Aug 15 to 28, namely Kg Siansai Dundau, Kota Belud, Sri Semarak PPR , Tawau, Kg Sembulan Tengah & Lama, KK and Kg Tempasuk 1, Kota Belud.
EMCOs in 19 localities will be lifted on Aug 14, namely five Tawau localities (Bandar Sabindo, Kg Rancangan Sungai Tongkang, Taman Kukusan, Batu 2 Lorong Habib Abdul Rahman, Jalan Apas, and Taman Berjaya) and five Keningau Localities (Kg Bariawa Laut, Kg Baitah, Kg Panagatan Ulu, Kg Kota Ayangan and Rumah Kongsi Jutaya Lingkudau).Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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