by BERNAMA / pic by BERNAMA

KUCHING – Sarawak today announced plans to impose stricter travel measures in view of the rising number of COVID-19 cases in neighbouring Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia.

Deputy Chief Minister 1 Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the government will prohibit Malaysians and non-citizens in Sabah and the Federal Territory of Labuan from entering the state between Oct 4 and 18.

Only Sarawakians in Sabah and Labuan will be allowed to return to the state during that period, but they have to apply through the online EnterSarawak application and fill up an e-health declaration form, he said at the daily COVID-19 press conference, here.

Uggah, who is chairman of the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee, said these Sarawakians will have to undergo a 14-day quarantine at quarantine centres and take the COVID-19 RT-PCR (real time polymerase chain reaction) test on the second and 10th days.

He also said that Sarawakians categorised as essential service personnel and have to perform official duty in Peninsular Malaysia are allowed to go across but have to apply through EnterSarawak and fill up an e-health declaration form.

“They are also required to obtain approval from their respective heads of department by uploading the official letter and letter of invitation (for the meetings) onto the EnterSarawak application before they can be allowed to return without quarantine at quarantine centres,” he said.

Director-General of Health Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah today announced that 259 local transmission of new COVID-19 positive cases were recorded in the country over 24 hours up to noon today.

A total of 118 of these cases were in Sabah; 98 in Kedah; 13 each in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor; five each in Johor and Putrajaya; two each in Perlis and Terengganu and one each in Melaka, Pahang and Penang, he said.

Uggah said Malaysians who are not Sarawakians as well as foreigners who wish to enter Sarawak from Peninsular Malaysia have to also apply through the EnterSarawak application and fill up the e-health declaration form.

“They will be quarantined for 14 days and must take the COVID-19 test on the second and 10th days, and will have to bear the cost of the tests,” he said.

He said that those involved in the delivery services sector using land transportation have to obtain a special approval letter from the divisional disaster management committees either in the Miri or Limbang divisions neighhouring Brunei Darussalam and take a COVID-19 test before embarking on the journey.

“Those who are required to go through Brunei Darussalam have to comply with all the latest directives issued by the government of that country,” he said, adding that Brunei Darussalam has also tightened entry measures at its land border control posts.

Uggah said Sarawak is tightening the travel measures also because of the rising number of COVID-19 cases in several neighbouring countries.