Dr Rundi: Utilities Ministry, Sarawak Energy working closely to manage Covid-19 situation at Baleh Hydroelectric Project site

Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom – File photo

KUCHING (April 29): The Ministry of Utilities and Sarawak Energy Bhd (Sarawak Energy) are working closely to manage the Covid-19 situation at the Baleh Hydroelectric Project site, said Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom.

The Minister of Utilities said Sarawak Energy is implementing containment efforts with guidance and support from the District Disaster Management Committee as well as health and security authorities who had deployed their respective teams to site.

“Their support during this extremely difficult time has been crucial as we all work together to overcome this threat to lives and health,” he said in a statement.

According to Dr Rundi, the Baleh Hydroelectric Project is a key state infrastructure project and employs over 500 Sarawakians from throughout the state including Kapit and the surrounding areas, with foreign manpower in the remaining roles.

Since March last year, he said the project had instituted strict Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOP) with controlled entries and exits that had kept the Baleh site free from the virus up until now.

He said when infection cases began to spike in Kapit early this year, the project site instituted additional precautionary requirements.

Dr Rundi, however, said on April 18, a local from the Kapit area who had returned to work at the Baleh site was subsequently confirmed as a positive case as a result of contact with two Pasai Cluster cases.

“Mass testing immediately commenced and detected a high number of positive cases amongst workers at the project site.

“The site emergency response plan activated and Baleh site was immediately placed on lockdown even before the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) was declared,” he added.

He said work at site had stopped and all workers had either been segregated into onsite quarantine centres or confined to their camps or living quarters.

He added that those who had tested positive for Covid-19 had been isolated and were being given the necessary medical care.

On Friday, State Disaster Management Committee announced that the Baleh Hydroelectric Project site was placed under EMCO for four weeks until May 24.

The EMCO took effect on April 26, three days after the Putai Cluster was declared by the state Health Department.

The cluster involved workers of a hydroelectric dam construction project at Putai, Ulu Baleh in the Bukit Mabong district.

The index case of the cluster is a local woman aged 39, who was tested for Covid-19, before returning to work at the construction site after spending a holiday in Kapit. She was tested positive on April 18.

The post Dr Rundi: Utilities Ministry, Sarawak Energy working closely to manage Covid-19 situation at Baleh Hydroelectric Project site appeared first on Borneo Post Online.

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