GEORGE TOWN – It is all hands on deck as the Penang government is looking to encourage more people to register for the Covid-19 vaccine jabs.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow today called on all government agencies, non-governmental organisations, community groups and housing managements to run campaigns, encouraging the public to register for the immunisation plan.
Speaking at the Should I Take The Covid-19 Vaccine? awareness campaign in New World Park here, he said that the only answer to this question is: “Yes”.
“The registration is going at a slow pace. The percentage of those who registered in Penang has just reached 45%. The rate is not even increasing by 1% every day. Probably only about 0.5% a day.”
The chief minister said although many people are wary about the vaccines, there is no better choice than to get the jabs and follow the health safety measures.
“As of now, this is the only answer to the pandemic. We are not out of the woods yet. We are still facing a very serious impact from Covid-19.”
He added that he understands when the number of cases drops, many sectors will push for the relaxation of rules, and people will demand for the freedom to move around.
To this, Chow urged Penangites to remain vigilant and disciplined as the coronavirus has especially affected those in schools and educational institutions, and no longer just foreign worker hostels anymore.
To date, Penang recorded 640,451 registrations, or 46.3% of the state’s population. The state needs 1.34 million registrations to reach the 70% minimum target for herd immunity. – The Vibes, April 25, 2021