BATU KAWAN – Penang is expected to reach a milestone once 50% of its population registered for Covid-19 vaccines is double-dosed by next Wednesday.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said that barring any unforeseen circumstances, the state would fully inoculate half of its targeted population over the next three days, with 80% expected to receive their first dose by Monday.
“This is an important indicator for the state to qualify for the next phases of the National Recovery Plan (NRP),” Chow said after visiting the retail industry vaccination centre at the Design Village Outlets Mall here.
Penang has opened many of its trade and retail sectors, although response has been lukewarm including for dine-ins because of high infection rates.
The vaccinated fear infection by breakthrough variants and the uncertainty on whether retail and tourism workers have also been inoculated.
The state has recorded over 1,000 cases daily in the past five days, which the state has blamed on the RTK-Ag kits which yield results within minutes, but it may be inaccurate in some cases.
It is believed that over one million Penangites, out of its base population of 1.7 million, have registered for the vaccines.
In another development, doctors here have also called on the health authorities to focus on new narratives for living with the virus, because Covid-19 seems to be staying for the foreseeable future.
Many countries continue to struggle with the pandemic, now more likely to be an endemic, particularly due to emerging variants triggering new high vaccination rates. – The Vibes, August 21, 2021
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