[UPDATED] National Recovery Council to decide next week on relaxed curbs for fully vaccinated

KUALA LUMPUR – Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has offered a glimmer of hope to Malaysians stuck at home, saying the National Recovery Council will decide next week the details on loosening curbs for those fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

The prime minister also hinted that the ban on inter-district travel may be lifted.

“There must be some loosening of movement restrictions, starting with inter-district travel, going to the shops, even if Malaysians cannot yet go abroad.

“This will be decided in our meeting next week, after which, we will announce the loosening of restrictions for vaccine recipients – single- or double-dose regimen – so that they will no longer be stuck in such a state,” he said after visiting Pharmaniaga LifeScience Sdn Bhd here.

On reopening the economy, Muhyiddin said the decision will have to take into account industries’ readiness to comply with the standard operating procedures.

“Such premises will be considered for early reopening in Phase 2 of the National Recovery Plan if owners comply with conducting swab tests on their workers at least once a week.

“These are additional precautions, and I’m confident that vaccinations are the way to better manage the pandemic, economically and socially.

“People will still have to continue adhering to the SOPs, such as observing physical distancing, mask-wearing, and regularly sanitising their hands.

“I believe we will come out of the pandemic by year-end, and things will return to normal.”

He confirmed that Pharmaniaga Bhd has completed the government’s order of 12.4 million doses of the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine to expedite the national inoculation programme.

Now, he said, the pharmaceutical company can look into supplying the jab to the private sector.

He was quoted by Astro Awani as saying the firm can even look into exporting doses, seeing that it has the capability to do so.

Muhyiddin said he expects all senior citizens in the Klang Valley to get at least their first vaccine dose in the next few weeks.

This is in line with the decision that people aged 60 and up will get to use the walk-in facility at all vaccination centres (PPVs) in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor starting today.

“All PPVs and health facilities under the Health Ministry are ready to accept these senior citizens, regardless of whether they are registered or unregistered (for the jab),” he was quoted as saying by Bernama.

As of Thursday, a total of 3,025,275 senior citizens had registered for vaccination, with at least the first dose administered to 2,680,880, or 88.61%, he said.

In a Facebook post, Muhyiddin said the data shows that vaccination has succeeded in sharply reducing the number of severe Covid-19 infections.

This is evident from the Sg Buloh Hospital admission figures for senior citizens in Categories 4 and 5, which dropped more than 50% in the past month.

“Now, the positive impact of vaccination is beginning to be seen.”

A total of 9.4 million senior citizens, individuals with comorbidities and persons with disabilities are targeted for vaccination under Phase 2 of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme from April 19 to next month.

On Health Ministry personnel who received their jab under Phase 1, which was launched in February, the prime minister said: “It was found that only 1.26% of ministry personnel were infected with Covid-19 after they were fully vaccinated. Of this, 99.8% experienced mild to no symptoms, and none was in Category 5.”

He said Labuan, where the Delta variant was first detected in Malaysia, has seen a decline in infections and fatalities following the government’s move to rush vaccines there to boost the immunisation rate.

The same is being done in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor via Operation Surge Capacity, he said. – The Vibes, July 17, 2021