KOTA SAMARAHAN: The entry/exit routes to two residential areas here have been blocked, possibly to enable the Sarawak Health Department to trace close contacts of Covid-19 cases.
This follows the statement of Health Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba on Sunday that tracing of close contacts of the infection would begin today until April 30 in Taman Desa Ilmu and Taman Uni Garden.
The roads were closed since this morning with the help of the local authority and police.
"We were informed that the areas involved have Covid-19 cases, it was the reason the roads were closed to prevent people from coming and going," said a local resident who did not want to reveal his identity.
Dr Adham had attended a meeting with Senior Minister of Infrastructure (Cluster Infrastructure), Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof at the Sarawak General Hospital Heart Center in Kota Samarahan and said active monitoring of Covid-19 carriers was required under the Movement Control Order (MCO).
"The target is cases which were detected as positive contacts before this," he said.
Also present at the meeting were Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas as well as Sarawak Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian.
It is understood that 50 teams comprising a total of 100 personnel will conduct the screening process and identify active contacts of Covid-19 cases in the two residential areas.
As of yesterday, a total of 96 positive cases involving four deaths were recorded in Kota Samrahan.