PENANG will launch its Community Vaccine Mobilisation (Movak) programme from Aug 30 to Sept 2 at all its five districts, utilising a fleet of 10 buses with two for each district.
State Local Government, Housing, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said they expect as many as 10,000 to 12,000 hawkers and traders to be vaccinated under the programme from 8.30am to 3pm.
He said the Movak locations are at Dato Haji Ahmad Badawi Hall, Butterworth (north Seberang Perai), MBSP Sports Complex, Jalan Betek, Bukit Mertajam (central Seberang Perai), Batu Kawan Stadium, Batu Kawan (south Seberang Perai), City Stadium, George Town (northeast district) and Dewan Perda, Teluk Kumbar (southwest district).
The programme is organised by the Penang government through the State Secretary’s office in collaboration with Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF), Housing and Local Government Ministry, state Health Department, Penang Island City Council (MBPP) and Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP).
“This is one of the government’s efforts to assist the traders and hawkers get vaccinated as they are considered frontliners.
“It is for hawkers and traders registered under the two local councils throughout the state of Penang via the MySejahtera application.
“We want to assist and speed up the national vaccination programme to achieve its target of 80 per cent herd immunity as we fight against this Covid-19,” Jagdeep said during the official opening of the Teluk Kumar Heights Market and Food Complex in Teluk Kumbar today.
He said about 500 to 600 hawkers and traders in each district are expected to receive injections using the mobiles buses that have been modified to carry out the vaccinations per day from Aug 30 to Sept 2, except for Aug 31 which is Merdeka Day.
This new programme comes at a time as the Penang Covid-19 screening (PSC-19) campaign, which began on July 5, is to end tomorrow. It has hit over its target of testing over 40,000 people (RTK-Antigent test) in all the 40 constituencies in the state.
Jagdeep said they would decide soon whether to extend the PSC-19 programme or not.
He reiterated his call for all to stay vigilant as the country registered a record 23,564 cases in a day yesterday, with Penang recording 1,523 cases.
“This is not a record that we are proud of. Getting four digits in Penang is a norm nowadays. This is not something we can accept.
“We must be extra careful, make sure we abide by the SOPs, register for vaccine, undergo test even if we have been fully vaccinated, and work as a community,” he said.
As of Aug 19, he said one million people in Penang have received their first jab and 570,000 their second jab.
This works out to 57.1% and 32.1% of its population having received the first jab and second jab respectively. In terms of adult population, it is 74.7% for the first jab recipients and 41.7% for the second jab recipients.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix courtesy of YB Jagdeep Singh’s office