Covid-19: Sarawak fine-tuning threshold indicators under NRP, says deputy CM

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah at the state disaster management committee's Covid-19 briefing in Kuching. — ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/The Star

KUCHING: The Sarawak disaster management committee is fine-tuning the threshold indicators for the state to transition into the next phases of the National Recovery Plan (NRP).

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah, who chairs the committee, said the three main indicators were the spread of Covid-19 in the community based on daily cases, the usage rate of beds in intensive care unit wards and the percentage of Sarawak's population who have completed both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.

"We are studying the indicators to enable the various divisions in Sarawak to transition to the next phases, as well as the current situation in each division and district based on the thresholds.

"The findings will be announced soon, " he said at the committee's Covid-19 briefing here on Friday (July 9).

Sarawak has 12 administrative divisions and 40 districts. The state is currently in Phase One of the NRP.

On vaccination, Uggah said 77,343 doses were given throughout the state on Wednesday (July 8).

Overall, he said, 63.56% of the 2.2 million eligible adult population in the state had received their first dose and 21.32% had completed both doses.

"At this rate, I am confident that our target of completing the vaccination in August can be achieved, " he said.

Meanwhile, state Health director Datuk Dr Mohamed Sapian Mohamed said the average daily cases in Sarawak dropped to 340 this week compared to 596 and 412 in the previous two weeks.

He said the average daily deaths also went down from four in June to two this month.

Similarly, the usage of beds in intensive care units was currently at 50% compared to the peak when it was nearly 100%.

"This is the result of the movement control order and vaccination programme, " Dr Mohamed Sapian said.

He urged the public to keep complying with the standard operating procedures and get vaccinated so that the number of cases would continue to come down.

Sarawak reported 406 new cases and three fatalities on Friday, taking the state's cumulative tally to 68,247 with a death toll of 431.

Dr Mohamed Sapian said 108 of the cases involved Immigration detention centres and prisons.

"They comprise 34 detainees at the Batu Lintang Immigration detention centre in Sri Aman, 56 detainees at the Miri central prison and 18 immigration detainees in Kuching, " he said.