KUALA LUMPUR: Residents of Sarawak seeking to travel between zones in the coming weeks are required to seek permission from the police from Aug 1 to Aug 14 before hitting the road, said Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
The Senior Defence Minister's announcement followed the federal government's approval of the Sarawak government's application to limit travel between zones which have been categorised as yellow, red and green due to the spread of Covid-19, in the state.
Ismail Sabri said there are two main zones in Sarawak: Zone 1, which comprises Kuching, Serian and Samarahan which are yellow and red zones; and Zone 2, which are green areas stretching from Seri Aman, Betong, Sarikei and Kapit, to Mukah, Bintulu, Miri and Limbang.
"The state government has taken a strict and proactive stance in an effort to break the Covid-19 spread in Sarawak, especially in Kuching. Therefore, any individual who wants to travel between zones must obtain the consent of the police while movements within zones are allowed," he said during a press conference at Parliament today.
He added that flights from the Peninsula, Sabah and Labuan to Sarawak will also be reduced during this period.
On a separate matter, Ismail Sabri said standard operating procedures (SOPs) involving the signing on and off of sea crews will be tightened, as reports by the Health Ministry indicate that the group has contributed to a rise in imported cases.
He said the SOPs not only apply to foreign crew members, but also Malaysians.
From now on, those under Sign On and Sign Off processes are required to undergo Covid-19 screening tests upon arrival at Malaysia's international gates and when they reach ports for departure.
Ismail Sabri said crew members found positive for Covid-19 will be sent to hospital for treatment; while those who test negative must undergo mandatory 14-day isolation at designated quarantine stations and be re-tested on the 13th day.
Departing crew members will be sent to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to board flights to their countries of origin.
The cost of quarantine, including screening tests, will be borne by their employers, said Ismail Sabri.