Day: June 17, 2021

The government anticipates that the vaccination of about 1.2 million residents in Kelantan will be completed by October, said National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme Coordinating Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

He said it was based on the state government’s target of administering 30,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine a day, next month.

“We will also provide another 550,000 doses of vaccine to Kelantan next month (July) thus enabling the state to increase the administration rate to 30,000 doses a day or at least 20,000 (doses) a day,” he said.

He said this at a press conference after attending the State-Level COVID-19 Immunisation Task Force Meeting with Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob at the Darulnaim Complex here today.

Khairy said he was confident that the target could be achieved following the positive development of the immunisation programme, including the vaccination outreach programmes.

“The daily vaccination rate in Kelantan is now increasing to 12,000 (doses). Congratulations to Kelantan for the implementation of the various outreach programmes to facilitate vaccination for the residents especially senior citizens,” he said.

To date, 42 per cent of Kelantan’s eligible population have registered for the COVID-19 vaccination.

Kelantan will also set up five more vaccination centres (PPV), one each in Kota Bharu, Bachok, Pasir Mas, Machang and Kuala Krai.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

Malaysia shared the initiatives implemented in addressing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, at the 109th session of the International Labour Conference (ILC), which is held virtually from June 3 to 19.

Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan who is representing Malaysia at the conference said he delivered a statement that touched on the country’s economic stimulus packages during the plenary session at around 7 pm yesterday.

These include the Wage Subsidy Programme that has successfully rescued 4.7 million workers and up to half a million employers, as well as the ministry’s latest initiative, namely the Working for Workers (WFW) mobile application, he said.

He added that over 3,000 complaints were received since the launch of the application on May 3, 2021, with over 1,700 complaints had been acted upon by the ministry.

In a statement in conjunction with the ILC today, Saravanan said he also stressed the importance of cooperation at the international level aside from the need for continuous social dialogue to discuss labour-related issues.

According to Saravanan, this year’s conference would be held in two sessions, with the first session from June 3 till 19, while the second session is expected to take place in November.

The ILC is an annual event that aims to discuss and make decisions on issues related to international labour standards and other matters pertaining to social and labour issues.

Saravanan said during the first ILC session, Malaysia also took part in the Recurrent Discussion Committee on Social Security (CDR) and COVID Response Committee (CRC).

The CDR’s draft summary consists of measures to promote universal social protection and the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) support to achieve the goal, while the CRC finalises a document entitled “A Global Call to Action for a Human Centered Recovery from the COVID-19 Crisis that is Inclusive, Sustainable and Resilient” to be presented for adoption by all ILO member countries.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

The government will be supplying CanSino vaccine to Kelantan in July to vaccinate residents living in the interior including Orang Asli.

National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme Coordinating Minister Khairy Jamaluddin however said the total vaccine to be distributed to Kelantan will be announced later after the government had acquired the vaccine next month.

“The one-dose vaccine is important to facilitate the authorities in vaccinating residents in the interior including Orang Asli in Gua Musang, Kuala Krai and so on, as there is no need to enter the areas twice,” he said.

He was speaking at a media conference with Kelantan Menteri Datuk Ahmad Yakob after the Kelantan COVID-19 Immunisation Task Force meeting at Kota Darulnaim Complex here today.

Earlier Health director-general, Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah was reported as saying the CanSino and Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccines which only needed one dose, have been approved for conditional registration for emergency use.

Dr Noor Hisham said the approval was given at the 359th meeting of Drug Control Authority (DCA) two days ago.

Asked on the government’s strategy to achieve 80 per cent herd immunity by the end of the year, Khairy said vaccination centres (PPV) nationwide would be opened to walk-in individuals after those who had registered received their vaccine jabs.

“We are confident that after dispensing to all those who have registered for appointment (vaccine shot), we will open the PPV to walk-in individuals fo example in Kuala Lumpur,” he said.

He said through the approach, the authorities are expecting the process of vaccination to be expedited to achieve the government’s target of 80 per cent herd immunity by the end of the year or earlier.

“Under the ‘walk-in’ concept, those who have not registered could walk-in for an appointment at the PPV,” he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

— The government has taken note and will take follow-up actions based on the Federal Constitution and national laws in upholding the views of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah as stated in the statement issued by Istana Negara yesterday.

The Prime Minister’s Office, in a statement today, said:

“During the audience with the King earlier, the Prime Minister has briefed and advised His Majesty on COVID-19 pandemic management, the enforcement of the Emergency Ordinance, the implementation of the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme, economic stimulus packages and financial aid to the people, the reconvening of Parliament, the National Recovery Plan and other related matters.

“Upholding the view of His Majesty, the government will take follow-up measures based on the Federal Constitution and national laws.”

Yesterday, Al-Sultan Abdullah expressed his opinion that Parliament should be reconvened as soon as possible and that the vaccination programme must be stepped up by reducing bureaucracy so that the target of 80 per cent herd immunity could be achieved as quickly as possible.

In the Istana Negara’s statement, Comptroller of the Royal Household Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said the King expressed the views after weighing the views of all political party leaders, the Independent Special Committee on Emergency 2021 as well as briefings by experts and government agencies.

He said His Majesty also expressed hope that the COVID-19 infection curve can be flattened quickly and viewed that vaccination was the only exit strategy to contain the pandemic.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

The Sarawak government will set up a vaccination centre (PPV) in the Kidurong Industrial Zone here after opening a similar one at the Samalaju Industrial Park, said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg today.

He said the move was aimed at facilitating COVID-19 vaccination to oil and gas sector workers in the zone, thus accelerating the achievement of the target of 80 per cent of Sarawak’s population being vaccinated (herd immunity) by August.

“We will have another vaccination centre in the Kidurong area because we have oil and gas companies and contractors operating there. The system and process (of vaccination) will be the same as Samalaju,” he said.

He told this to reporters after visiting the PPV at Press Metal Bintulu Sdn Bhd at the Samalaju Industrial Park near here.

Abang Johari said the decision to open the PPV in Samalaju was because the government did not want industrial workers in the area not to be vaccinated due to some problems such as not being able to go to the PPV in Bintulu town, which is located more than 77km from there.

He said the decision was also taken due to the outbreak of COVID-19 infection among industrial workers in the area.

Meanwhile, in addition to vaccinating more than 6,000 of its employees, Press Metal is also allowing its facilities to be used for the purpose of vaccinating workers from other companies operating in the industrial park.

Abang Johari said more than 200,000 residents in Bintulu were eligible for vaccination and that the vaccination rate of 3,000 people a day would be increased to 5,000 people a day and that the target could be achieved with the opening of the PPV in the industrial areas.

He also said that the state government’s ‘inject first, register later’ approach will be expanded in Bintulu, especially for the Sebauh, Tatau, PPR Bandaria Park and Sungai Plan areas in the near future.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency