KUALA LUMPUR – Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has ordered all vaccination centres in the country to operate seven days a week, while millions of ringgit will be spent to increase vaccine supply and incentivise frontline workers.
The prime minister said this is part of the government’s effort to expedite the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, to achieve herd immunity in light of the health pandemic.
In announcing the Pakej Perlindungan Rakyat dan Pemulihan Ekonomi, Muhyiddin said RM400 million will be allocated to purchase more vaccines to serve as a buffer and preparation for the inoculation of 6.4 million Malaysians aged 12 to 18 who will soon receive an appointment.
The purchase of additional supplies will be enough to cover 130% of the population, up from 120% previously.
Additionally, he said the government will spend RM200 million to increase the incentive payment for volunteers at vaccination and quarantine centres from RM50 to RM100 a day, and triple the monthly special allowance for 14,000 medical frontliners from RM200 to RM600 for six months beginning July.
“I have also asked that all vaccination centres operate seven days a week to expedite the process.”
Muhyiddin’s announcement today comes following complaints from the public that many vaccination centres have opted to close during the weekend, despite a huge number of individuals being scheduled for inoculation on Saturdays and Sundays.
To increase the capacity of vaccine administration, Muhyiddin said another 29 new centres will be opened soon, while existing ones will be upgraded to increase their capacity.
Drive-through and mobile vaccinations will also be introduced in several places, with RM200 million allocated for these purposes.
At present, he said, there are 341 centres nationwide, consisting of 320 public vaccination centres, 13 mega centres, and eight makeshift centres in universities.
The prime minister said that to encourage more private companies to assist the government in the vaccination of their staff, RM150 million will be spent to reduce the cost borne by employers.
Among others, Muhyiddin said companies registered with the Human Resources Development Corp can utilise up to 10% of their levy balance to purchase and manage vaccines.
Companies will also be exempted from paying taxes for the cost incurred to prepare their own vaccination drives.
“The government is also prepared to consider allowing companies to operate at full capacity if all their staff have completed two doses of the vaccine,” he said. – The Vibes, June 28, 2021
