NST: Selangor, federal CITF collaboration to boost Covid-19 inoculation rates
KUALA LUMPUR: The federal and Selangor Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) will collaborate to open up more vaccination centres (PPV), boost workforce and volunteers as well as set up more mobile units in an effort to push up inoculation rates in the state.
Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said the CITF at both levels have committed to these measures to realise the target of dispensing 165,000 immunisations a day by August.
"We have given our commitment to jointly ease the process and to boost the number of PPVs in Selangor.
"We have also agreed to fine tune and strengthen the workforce and volunteers to ensure the smooth operations of the PPVs that will be jointly opened by Selgate Healthcare Sdn Bhd and ProtectHealth Corporation Sdn Bhd.
"PPV mobile units will also be added to speed up the inoculation process. This is to achieve Selangor's aim of administering 135,000 doses a day by July and further increase it to 165,000 daily by August," he said in a statement tonight.
Amirudin said this after attending a Selangor-level CITF meeting with Covid-19 National Immunisation Programme (NIP) coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin at the annexe building of the state legislative building in Shah Alam at noon today.
Both the CITF, he said, have agreed to focus on immunising the vulnerable and disabled groups as well as those with co-morbidities without neglecting the interests of others.
The implementation of Selangor's NIP Phase 2 for senior citizens, said Amirudin, was at 88 per cent for those who had registered.
He said as there are those who have yet to sign up, outreach initiatives will be conducted by both parties.
Amirudin said they are also focused on vaccinating industrial and manufacturing sector workers in view of the rise in positive cases as well as a consistent climb in workplace clusters in Selangor, as well as in Negri Sembilan and Johor.
"The federal CITF has welcomed Selangor's Covid-19 Vaccination Programme which completes the NIP. Under Phase 4 of the NIP (Control Of Outbreak), it is crucial for us to ensure that workers in the industrial sector are protected so that the nation's economic flow will not be disrupted and their jobs and income will be sustained.
"Along with our vaccinated people target and Phase 4, which is the Public-Private Partnership Covid-19 Industry Immunisation Programme (Pikas) under the International Trade and Industry Ministry, our cooperation is a holistic synergy between the federal and state governments," he said.
Amirudin said he hoped the collaboration would expedite efforts to achieve herd immunity and for the nation to eventually emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic.
