KUANTAN – The Pahang State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) said that the vaccination of workers from the hospitality industry, including the cluster involving Genting Highlands, was done based on several factors, such as the increased number of vaccine doses obtained by the state.
The committee said in a media statement today that among the factors taken into consideration were the fact that the Jalan Genting cluster lasted for two months and involved 563 people, besides the need to use the hotel as a quarantine venue.
“The vaccination of 3,036 people from the hospitality sector, which included housekeepers, cleaners, and maintenance workers, involved six districts in Pahang and not just employees from the Genting Group.
“It was also part of efforts to spur the economic and support sectors in the state, namely tourism and transportation,” the statement added.
The committee, which is chaired by Pahang State Secretary Datuk Seri Sallehuddin Ishak, stressed that the initiative was only carried out after the 32,156 frontliners from the health and vital services sectors, who had been targeted as recipients of the first vaccine dose by the federal government, had received their vaccine jabs.
It said that Pahang then received 5,310 additional doses under the first phase, which was meant for frontliners apart from the Health Ministry, including those from comorbidity groups and teachers, with 3,820 teachers having received the vaccines under two different phases.
The committee said that 5,600 additional Sinovac vaccines were then received for recipients from the transport sector, local authorities, clinic support services, and hospital support services.
According to it, the National Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force had ruled that the Sinovac vaccine was not suitable for those from comorbidity groups.
Efforts to get recipients for the Sinovac vaccine began early in March, with 540 people from hospital support services receiving vaccination appointments, besides those from the clinic support services (104 people), transport sector (1,726), local authorities (102), and hospitality (3,036).
“The total distribution originally planned (for the hospitality sector) was only 1,575 doses, but it was increased to 3,036 people following a poor response from eligible transport sector recipients,” the statement said.
The committee also stressed that the state immunisation task force, which is subject to the federal task force, was committed to ensuring the success of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, as well making sure the relevant groups receive their vaccine jabs as planned.
Yesterday, National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme Coordinating Minister Khairy Jamaluddin denied viral allegations that the inoculation of a number of Genting Group workers was conducted on his orders.
Khairy said the federal task force was made aware of the state task force’s decision only after the latter had started vaccinating the group. – Bernama, April 29, 2021
