By Olivia Miwil - June 21, 2021 @ 2:26pm
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah hopes to achieve herd immunity by the end of this year with 2.9 million of its population being inoculated.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said he was confident the state could achieve 30,000 people being vaccinated daily beginning next month.
As of June 19, a total of 326,556 people including army personnel have received the first dose under the first and second phase.
"With the opening of more vaccination administration centres (PPV) coupled with assistance from the private sector and the Health Department's mobile programme in rural areas, we will be able to achieve this target," he said.
Hajiji was speaking during the launching of Sabah's Zero Covid-19 campaign at the Banquet Hall of the State Administrative Centre (PPNS) here.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Adham Baba joined the launch virtually. Also present were Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun, Community Development and People's Wellbeing minister Shahelmy Yahya, Sabah State Secretary Datuk Seri Safar Untong and State Health Director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi.
Last Tuesday Hajiji announced that 16 new vaccination centres opened this month in addition to 95 currently in operation as the National Covid Immunisation Programme was now extended to the 18 and above group.
Currently, 72 of the PPV were using health facilities while 23 were located in public facilities throughout the state.
Hajiji reiterated the importance for Sabahans to register for vaccination through the various platforms provided by the government so that the goal of zero active cases daily can be achieved as well.
"It is crucial that the people and the State government work together in fighting the pandemic.
"We do not want our state to experience a sudden spike in positive cases resulting in fatalities," he said.
Hajiji added the immunisation programme, which has entered the third Phase, also focuses on the manufacturing sector through the Public-Private Partnership Industrial Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PIKAS) where an estimated 10,000 workers in the sector in Sabah will be inoculated.
PIKAS will be conducted at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) beginning July, where a daily target of 1,500 workers from the sector are expected to get their vaccination.
The Chief Minister said the State government will see sufficient supply of Pfizer, Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines for the people, assuring that Sabah will be receiving more supplies from July onwards.
Hajiji said several countries like China, New Zealand and Australia have successfully achieved zero active cases daily through strict compliance of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and most importantly, expediting the vaccination process of their respective citizens.
"The Zero Covid-19 campaign is a joint initiative between the State government and Health Ministry aimed at creating a new benchmark for the people in the state and the importance of achieving zero active cases daily," he said.
Malaysia is now gripped by the third wave of the pandemic leaving the government with no other choice but to implement the nationwide Movement Control Order 3.0.
"This pandemic can never be stopped if we presume we have won each time a level of the movement control order is relaxed.
"It is very important for society to continue embracing the new norms and comply with the SOP in their daily routines for as long as there are active cases in our country," he said.
Hajiji also reminded the people to remain vigilant and adhering to the SOP as Sabah has yet to be out of the woods.
"The State government acknowledges the hardship faced by the people with the imposition of regulations.
"But we need to realise that once we relax the SOP there will be a spike in the number of daily positive cases," he said.
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