Date: 25-Jul-2021

It was reported the the government will expedite the Covid-19 National Immunisation Programme (NIP) focusing on all essential economic sectors currently in operations.

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the government is targeting to fast track vaccination for those working in essential services such as the construction sector as well as the plantation and commodities industries.

“The immunisation programme for another important sector for the economy will begin from July 1, which is the construction sector which will be coordinated by the Works Ministry.

“We will expand this industrial programme to other industries.

“The Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) has started discussions with the Agriculture and Food Industry Ministry because farms are operational too so we want to bring this industrial PPVs (vaccination centres) to farms or plantation estates for estate workers,” he said at a press conference after visiting the Dewan Kelab Sukan Lembaga Pelabuhan Klang PPV here today.

Khairy said this following an announcement by Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong today that 51,500 from the transportation industry have been considered as frontliners and will be vaccinated starting today.

Khairy, who is also the Covid-19 NIP coordinating minister said the decision will continue without disrupting the main NIP which is steadily going well.

He said priority was given for essential sectors as the workers have been continuously on duty since the pandemic started and have registered to receive the vaccine but yet to be inoculated.

“The vaccination for the essential economic sector is in line with the fourth phase of the NIP dubbed as the virus control phase or Phase 4 which can be activated anytime for pandemic management.

“We are doing this because the risk of getting infected at workplaces is evident – there are several clusters which started from workplaces.

“We are reaching July where our vaccine supply will extend to sectors that are operating during the Movement Control Order,” he said.

Source: The Star