PENANG is looking forward to increasing the number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered daily.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said that the state has set a higher target after surpassing the 30,000 jab capacity in the past two days.
“We are now aiming for 35,000 jabs daily before setting our target at 40,000 jabs. It’s achievable!
“The supply of vaccines at the national level needs to be sufficient as we ramp up our vaccination efforts.
“We want to administer more doses of vaccines with the increase in the number of vaccination centres (PPVs),” he said.
Chow added that non-governmental organisation One Hope Charity & Welfare will launch its PPV in Auto City, Juru, next week; while a common PPV for the industrial sector would be opened at Pearl View Hotel in Perai.
“The state Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF), is engaging with the national CITF to improve the vaccination process.
“Our role is to support and facilitate the Covid-19 National Immunisation Programme (NIP) to ensure that Penangites are vaccinated as soon as possible,” he told Buletin Mutiara after inspecting the on-site vaccination centre (PPV) at Keysight Technologies in Bayan Lepas today.
Chow thanked Keysight Technologies for its initiative in setting up the PPV, which had been operating since yesterday (July 23).
The PPV is operational daily and aims to inoculate 9,000 people, with 780 doses given out each day to its employees. The PPV is also helping out in vaccinating the employees from 53 other companies in the industry.
Chow took note of the increased in the number of new Covid-19 cases daily. He stressed that vaccination is the way to reduce the severity of Covid-19.
State Health Department director Datuk Dr Asmayani Khalib, had earlier said that about 18% of the adult population in the state had been administered with two doses of vaccines, while 40% of the adult population had so far received first dose of vaccines as of yesterday.
“I hope those senior citizens, especially those with morbidities and have yet to be inoculated, can register themselves soon,” she said.
Keysight Technologies senior vice president Datuk Gooi Soon Chai expressed his gratitude to Chow for visiting the PPV.
“Our on-site PPV will be operating for 12 days to vaccinate the first dose of vaccines before continuing to administer the second dose,” he said.
Also present were state Entrepreneurial Development, Trade and Industry Committee chairman Datuk Abdul Halim Hussain, deputy State Secretary (administration) Ahmad Rizal Mohd Hanapiah and Penang Island City Council (MBPP) mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang.
Story by Edmund Lee
Pix by Muhamad Irsyad Omar
Video by Adleena Rahayu Ahmad Radzi