Bintulu stadium remains closed for possible conversion into PKRC, says Tiong

Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing

BINTULU (March 7): Stadium Muhibbah Bintulu will not be opened to the public for the time being due to the possibility of it being converted into a Covid-19 low-risk quarantine and treatment centre (PRKC), said Bintulu Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing.

In a statement, he said the authorities cannot keep it open as a sports and leisure centre as it was necessary to make the best and most comprehensive preparations in facing the pandemic.

“We must always be prepared for the worst, even if it means taking over the stadium for the Covid-19 cases again because if we have to resort to it, it would mean Bintulu’s situation has become much worse.

“Bintulu Disaster Management Committee (BDMC) has also planned to fully utilise previously used PKRCs such as Dewan Suarah and Bintulu Port’s Menara Kidurong,” he said.

Tiong added that if the occupancy rate of Covid-19 patients in hospitals exceeded their capacity, the relevant authorities can quickly put these PKRCs back into operation without any drastic renovations or alterations.

“In Bintulu Hospital now, except for obstetrics and gynaecology, 16 beds are used exclusively for Covid-19 patients so some anticipation of future needs is necessary.

“I hope that everyone can understand that even if the stadium is reserved as one of the PRKCs and will not be opened to the public, we hope we don’t really have to reactivate it fully.

“The reactivation of PKRCs and bringing back equipment to the centres would tax even more public resources. We can see double digits in new cases in Bintulu every day and they have even climbed to three-digits,” Tiong pointed out.

Therefore, he urged everyone in Bintulu and even those in neighbouring divisions to be cautious by reducing gatherings to protect themselves and their families and to strictly adhere to the standard operating procedures (SOPs).

According to the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) in its daily updates on the pandemic, Kuching recorded 479 new Covid-19 cases on March 5, followed by Miri (254), Sibu (213) and Bintulu (117).

from Borneo Post Online https://bit.ly/3CkUoIp
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