New thermoscanners now in use at entry points into Sarawak to contain Covid-19

KUCHING: Sarawak has received three new thermoscanners from the Health Ministry to screen the temperature of arrivals at the state's entry points to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 (novel coronavirus).

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said two of the thermoscanners have been installed at the Kuching International

Airport (KIA) and Sibu Airport respectively, where they are now in use.

"The third one is being installed at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex between Sarawak and Brunei at Sungai Tujoh, Miri, and will be operational by Feb 18," he said after chairing a state disaster management committee meeting on Covid-19 here on Monday (Feb 17).

Uggah said the new scanners were in addition to the existing thermoscanners at KIA and Miri Airport for international arrivals.

He said the committee would provide two more scanners for installation soon at the Sibu and Bintulu airports.

Uggah also advised employers to inform the committee in advance if they wished to bring in their workers from China.

He said these workers must undergo 14 days' self-quarantine.

"The employers will have to provide the quarantine centre. But any worker who has flu must seek immediate medical attention at government hospitals.

"They should not wait for symptoms associated with Covid-19, like fever, coughing or breathing difficulties, to develop," he said.

Uggah also said so far visitors arriving in Sarawak had not made false declarations on their recent travel history.

Since Jan 29, all those entering the state must fill in a health declaration form stating where they had travelled to in the past 14 days.

"I have been told by the Immigration Department that so far their officers have not detected any false declaration on travel history. "They counter-checked the declarations against the owners' passports," Uggah said.