Sarawak to update Covid-19 SOPs for oil and gas sector

KUCHING: Sarawak is working out new standard operating procedures (SOP) for the oil and gas sector to curb Covid-19 infections among its workers.

State Transport Minister Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin said oil and gas workers and their family members were contributing to the daily Covid-19 figures in the Miri division.

"The sector must have its internal control measures. In one day it can contribute 50 to 100 positive cases to the division's tally.

"This is a cause of great concern for us," he said during a briefing on the division's booster and adolescent vaccination programme at Curtin University in Miri on Tuesday (Oct 19).

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah was among those present at the briefing by the state Health Department.

Lee said internal control measures were important as there were several thousand people employed in the sector.

He said the Miri divisional disaster management committee, which he chairs, held a meeting with the sector on Monday (Oct 18).

"They agreed to set up the sector's own low-risk quarantine and treatment centre (PKRC).

"We do not allow those in Categories One and Two (no symptoms and mild symptoms) to be quarantined at home as they could inadvertently infect their family members.

"At the PKRC, their own medical personnel will attend to those infected," he said.

Lee added that another meeting would be held on Thursday (Oct 21) to fine-tune the proposed measures and preparations.

"Then we will submit the final proposal to the state disaster management committee for approval," he said.