PETALING JAYA: With the North-East Monsoon season looming in October, MCA Youth national chairman Datuk Nicole Wong Siaw Ting has called on Putrajaya to expedite the national vaccination programme.
Describing it as a race against time, Wong said when the season arrives, heavy rainfall is expected in Johor, Penang, Kedah and Kelantan and the progress of vaccinations could be impeded.
“It could prove disastrous as the people will have to contend with both the weather and the pandemic if they are not vaccinated.
“Therefore, the government is urged to act immediately and plan for the future,” she said in a statement on Tuesday (Aug 10).
Wong also said there was a need to expedite vaccinations in Sabah, as she pointed out Covid-19 cases were on the rise there and merely 27.4% of the population had received the first dose, compared to the national average of 50%.
“Hence, the government’s assurance to give priority to Sabah for the two newly approved Covid-19 vaccines namely CanSino and Johnson & Johnson, is welcomed.
“With new vaccines, it would be ideal if 60% of the state’s population can be vaccinated by October.”
Meanwhile, Wong said the surging daily Covid-19 cases “are an urgent warning that we are in a race against time, and we cannot afford to falter.”
She urged the government to speed up vaccination progress on the whole and ensure that the daily vaccination rate stays above 450,000 shots administered.
As of Monday (Aug 9), a total of 25,008,230 doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered nationwide.
Figures by the Special Committee on Covid-19 Vaccine Supply (JKJAV) on its Twitter account on Tuesday showed that a total of 15,959,596 people or 68.2% of the adult population had received their first dose, while 9,048,634 or 38.7% of the population had both doses.
On Sunday evening, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, in a special national address, said Covid-19 restrictions will be eased starting Tuesday for those who had been fully vaccinated.
Among the restrictions lifted in states under Phase Two of the National Recovery Plan, said Muhyiddin, were inter-district travel, tourism within the same state, dine-ins and outdoor exercise.
Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Negri Sembilan, Kedah, Johor, Melaka and Putrajaya remain under Phase One.
