KUALA LUMPUR – Grab today launched a region-wide programme aimed at increasing vaccine access and education for all stakeholders on its platform, as well as to encourage all passengers, drivers, and delivery partners to get vaccinated.
The e-hailing services company said in a statement today that to support convenient access to the Covid-19 vaccine and encourage stakeholders to get vaccinated, Grab is committed to subsidising the time, cost, and effort involved in getting vaccines for driver and delivery partners.
“We are also extending their medical leave protection fund to cover potential loss of income as a result of side effects from the Covid-19 vaccine for free, and covering the cost of vaccinations for all employees and immediate family members not covered by national vaccination schemes.
“To combat misinformation and boost public confidence in Covid-19 vaccines, Grab will work with Southeast Asian governments and health authorities to publish accurate information on vaccines and other public health matters on the Grab app,” said the statement.
According to the statement, Grab will launch a “Covid-19 Snap Survey”, a platform that allows governments to work with Grab to conduct lightning surveys on a wide sample pool to gather real-time data on vaccine sentiment.
“Grab plans to work closely with local governments across the region to offer mobility, communications, and logistics support for national vaccine deployment plans through its ground fleet network and widely used consumer app.
“Our goal is to reach fully vaccinated status for all Grab employees, driver, and delivery partners by the end of 2022,” it said.
Meanwhile, Russell Cohen, its group managing director of operations, said the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines is moving Southeast Asia into recovery mode and will allow people and businesses to operate with more confidence in their own safety, driving renewed economic and community activity.
“But there are many challenges to vaccine delivery, particularly in a region as widespread and diverse as ours.
“We’ve worked closely with governments across Southeast Asia throughout the past year to address the pandemic challenges on multiple fronts and hope to play our part in making sure they have access to the right information and resources to get vaccinated,” he said. – Bernama, February 4, 2021
