Follow all SOPs during Lunar New Year to curb rising Covid-19 cases, Wee advise Chinese community

The Chinese New Year celebrations this year will have to be put on hold as the nation fights the Covid-19 pandemic. File Photo

KUCHING (Jan 30): The Chinese community must strictly adhere to the standard operating procedures (SOP) and guidelines set by the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) during the coming one-day Lunar New Year celebrations amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sarawak Federation of Chinese Associations (SFCA) president Datuk Richard Wee said the Chinese community should go all-out in curbing the spread of the virus by not flouting the SOP during the festive celebration.

The Chinese across the globe are ringing in the Year of the Ox on Feb 12.

“During this coming Chinese New Year, our Chinese community has been urged to strictly adhere to the guidelines and follow the SOP set for various movement control orders,” he said when contacted here today.

Wee believed that the curve of Covid-19 could be flattened with the concerted efforts of all in complying with the SOP, particularly during the festive season.

“This would be the community’s best contribution towards assisting and helping the nation in fighting the pandemic.”

According to him, SFCA has decided to indefinitely postpone all festive activities including its annual Chinese New Year reunion dinner.

He said SFCA had also urged all divisional federations of Chinese associations as well as all member associations to do the same.

“We will follow the guidelines issued by the SDMC and refrain from house visits, organising lion dances and big gatherings as normally practiced traditionally.”

In this unprecedented world wide health crisis, Wee asserted that it is imperative that everyone comes together to fight this pandemic.

“And after we have successfully overcome this global crisis, we will always have the opportunity to have more of all our traditional celebrations like Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Gawai, Deepavali for all other races in Malaysia in future,” he said.

Based on the SDMC SOP for Chinese New Year, activities such as open houses, house-to-house visits, reunion dinners in restaurants and hotels, festive bazaars and celebrations at temples and public places are not allowed.

In addition, only close family members not exceeding 20 people are allowed for the customary reunion dinner on Feb 11.

SDMC also limited the celebration to only the first day, and a maximum of 20 family members at any one time.

The host must also prepare thermometers or thermal scanners to check each guest and record their details like name, date and time at location, and phone number manually, or via the MySejahtera, CovidTrace or Qmunity mobile apps for contact tracing.

Guests with body temperature exceeding 37℃ or have symptoms of illness must be turned away and should instead head to the nearest hospital or clinic.

It is also mandatory for the host to ensure seating arrangement is in compliance with the physical distancing of one metre, and avoid body contact like handshaking.

 

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