KUCHING: Sarawak will implement the relaxation in restrictions for fully vaccinated individuals once the standard operating procedures (SOP) have been approved by the state disaster management committee.

       The committee said it took note of the easing of restrictions as announced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

       "Sarawak acknowledges the benefit of full vaccination and welcomes the relaxation of restrictions towards the people's mental and physical health as well as the nation's economic activities," it said in a statement on Monday (Aug 9).

       The committee added that the existing SOPs were still in force until the protocols for Phase Three of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) for Sarawak were gazetted.

       On Sunday (Aug 8), Muhyiddin announced a series of relaxed restrictions for fully vaccinated individuals starting Tuesday (Aug 10).

       He said this was decided as 8.25 million adults in Malaysia had already completed their doses.

       Meanwhile, the committee said Sarawak reported 589 new Covid-19 cases and three deaths on Monday.

       This takes the state's cumulative tally to 81,917 with a death toll of 471.

       More than half of the new cases were recorded in Kuching with 348, while 23 other districts reported between one and 70 cases each.

       The latest fatalities were an 80-year-old man and 85-year-old woman who were brought-in-dead to Sri Aman Hospital and Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) respectively, as well as a 56-year-old man who died at SGH.

       The committee also said four new clusters were identified, comprising three community clusters in Kuching and one workplace cluster in Bintulu.

       There are currently 91 active clusters in the state, including 14 which were linked to 121 new cases.