PENANG expects to see more vaccination centres (PPVs) being set up by the end of this month in order to administer more doses of vaccine under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP).
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said about six or seven more PPVs would be opened soon to facilitate the NIP.
“All these PPVs had previously been waiting for the approvals to operate from the authorities.
“We hope that these PPVs will help to ramp up the vaccination process in the state, especially when there are new variants in our country now.
“We understand the importance of the vaccination process and we hope that everyone will play their part well to ensure the NIP is carried out smoothly,” he told Buletin Mutiara after visiting the PPV centre at Pusat Konvensyen Perda in Tasek Gelugor today.
The other PPV centres in Dewan Serbaguna Sungai Bakap and Intel Technology Sdn Bhd had also started their operations as well.
Chow reiterated that each PPV would have sufficient capacity to provide jabs to the people as the state is scheduled to receive more supplies of vaccines this month.
“From our meeting yesterday, we are confident that 40% of Penang’s adult population will be administered with two doses of vaccine by the end of August.
“This is one of the conditions for us to move to phase three of the National Recovery Plan (NRP), on top of meeting the daily threshold cases,” he added.
After the visit at the PPV centre in Pusat Konvensyen Perda, Chow noted there were a few areas that needed to be improved in order to accommodate the people in a better way.
“I believe that the authorities who are managing the PPV can make sure the centre is operating smoothly,” he said.
Besides that, Chow was also happy to note that the capacity at the PPV centre in Dewan Millennium, Kepala Batas, could accomodate some 2,000 people.
“It shows that the people in the North Seberang Perai district are fully supportive of the NIP,” he said.
Also present were State Secretary Datuk Abdul Razak Jaafar, state Opposition Leader Muhamad Yusoff Mohd Noor, who is also Sungai Dua assemblyman, Bertam assemblyman Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq and Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) mayor Datuk Rozali Mohamud.
Story by Edmund Lee
Pix by Ahmad Adil Muhamad
Video by Muhamad Amir Irsyad Omar