Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas – File photo
KUCHING (March 4): Stern action will be taken against an oil and gas (O&G) company and its offshore workers if they are found to be responsible for the major Covid-19 outbreak in Miri as announced by the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) today.
SDMC chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the committee has initiated an investigation over an alleged violation of the standard operating procedure (SOP) which caused an outbreak among 49 offshore workers at the Baram Oil and Gas Platform in Miri.
“In this case someone broke the SOP, and now the committee is investigating the case. Both the company and the person concerned are being investigated.
“If they are found to have violated the SOP, stern action will be taken against the individual and the company.
“This is a warning from us that stern action will be taken against those who violated the SOP, because what happened in this case was we saw so many in a group found positive,” he said.
The deputy chief minister said this was the first time such a huge number of new cases involving the oil and gas industry, just because certain individuals had violated the SOP.
“This case happened because certain individuals violated the SOP by not complying with their quarantine order, and went to Miri town, then came back (to their workplace).
“Then this is what caused the cases to explode,” he said.
Uggah said all the other workers who have been in close contact with the index case have been screened and were being quarantined at a quarantine centre, and sanitisation work on the Baram Oil and Gas Platform has been done.
He pointed out that once the investigation is done, the committee will recommend an action to be taken against those involved.
“We will not take this issue very lightly. We are taking it very seriously. The company involved should also take responsibility,” he said.