BINTULU (April 27): Police will issue compounds of up to RM1,000 to those found wandering around the division after 8pm without concrete reasons, said Bintulu Division Disaster Management Committee (BDDMC) chairman Jack Aman Luat.

The Bintulu Resident said the enhanced standard operating procedure (SOP) will be imposed under the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) from tonight until May 10.

However, he said exemptions would be given to those working in essential services, on shift duty, or in emergency cases.

“Need to be strict in enforcing the standard operating procedures (SOPs), otherwise it will be meaningless we have strict SOPs. We have been educating the public, now it is high time for us to be very stringent in SOP compliance,” he told a press conference on Monday.

Jack said BDDMC has tightened its borders with the pre-swab test and now the focus would be controlling movements within the division.

“We have been very strict with those coming in, now we have to be strict with those in Bintulu Division,” he said.

However, he said exemptions would be given to those working in essential services, on shift duty, or in emergency cases.

“Need to be strict in enforcing the standard operating procedures (SOPs), otherwise it will be meaningless we have strict SOPs. We have been educating the public, now it is high time for us to be very stringent in SOP compliance,” he told a press conference on Monday.

Jack said BDDMC has tightened its borders with the pre-swab test and now the focus would be controlling movements within the division.

“We have been very strict with those coming in, now we have to be strict with those in Bintulu Division,” he said.

He said the pre-swab test requirement for those entering Bintulu managed to detect positive cases from other divisions.

“When we implemented this, I know there were some people who were not satisfied, asking why Bintulu people going out, no pre-swab so to make it fair, we are suggesting in-and-out need pre-swab, we are contemplating to make it as Kapit has done it and it has proven to be a good way,” he said.

Jack added the police will also carry out more spot checks in addition to their existing roadblocks.

He said more surveillance will also be conducted in housing areas to prevent the people from organising social activities during the CMCO period.

To prevent more people going out, he said only two people are allowed in a vehicle to buy essential items at a premises which must be within a 10km radius of their homes.

Another additional SOP for Bintulu is it is compulsory for all economic sectors to have 70 per cent of their workforce working from home and only 30 per cent in the office.

“The increase in Covid-19 cases in Bintulu is mostly because of non-compliance. We have tried our best to put up very strict SOPs in Bintulu compared to other divisions or state SOP, but people are still quite complacent and go against the SOPs,” he said.

Jack said it is not surprising Bintulu has been a red zone since the beginning of this year and always in the top three for the most confirmed cases.

He pointed out the spike of positive cases in the workplace, longhouses, rental units, and in housing areas.

Jack said Bintulu remains the division with the most active case detection exercise, most quarantine centres (QC), and Covid-19 low-risk quarantine and treatment centres (PKRC) in the state.

“Based on today’s meeting, our PKRC and QC occupancy rates are almost full and we really have to reduce the cases in Bintulu by all means,” he stressed.

Bintulu Health officer Dr Melvin Chung added the previously over 100 Covid-19 positive cases who were untraceable have been traced and contacted.

“These cases initially cannot be contacted, but after (Bintulu MP) Datuk Seri Tiong highlighted it, the patients have voluntarily turned up and contacted our Health office themselves to surrender and agreed to receive treatment at the hospital.

“The police also helped us to locate these patients who were earlier unable to be contacted, thank goodness all of them have been found and now being admitted at hospital,” said Dr Chung.

Also present during the press conference were Bintulu police chief Supt Zulkipli Suhaili and Bintulu District Officer Muhammad Dino Amid.