KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is ramping up the vaccination of its people against Covid-19.
Beginning July 1, as many as 30,000 people will be given the vaccine daily, up from the current 13,000, said Chief Minister Datuk Hajiji Noor.
More vaccination centres will be opened and the immunisation programme will be expanded to the rural and interior population, he told a press conference after a visit to the Wisma Wanita vaccination centre here today.
Hajiji said that as of last Sunday, 249,945 people of Sabah had received the first dose of the vaccine, and they make up 8.5 percent of the 2.93 million people in the state targeted to be immunised under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme launched on Feb 26.
“Right now 72 health facilities and 23 vaccination centres are assisting the immunisation programme. The Wisma Wanita centre is among the 16 public vaccination centres opened this month.
“More public vaccination centres will also begin operating this month, among them at the Manggatal Community Hall, Persatuan Kebudayaan Kadazandusun, Libaran Multipurpose Hall and Institut Pendidikan Guru Balung Hall in Tawau,” he said.
Hajiji said the Wisma Wanita centre started operating yesterday and can vaccinate 400 people a day. It caters to civil servants serving in Kota Kinabalu as well as the local population.
“Priority will be given to civil servants who have to be in the field to meet the people such as drivers, despatchers, counter clerks and personnel from the police, Water Department, Immigration Department and Education Department,” he said.
He also said that beginning this month, the Gleneagles Hospital, Rafflesia Medical Centre and 36 private clinics also began vaccinating people. The management of Pacific Sutera Hotel has also allowed the hotel to be turned into a vaccination centre, he added.
Hajiji also said that the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) will also be turned into a vaccination centre with the capacity to immunise 3,500 people a day, mainly industrial, factory and economic service sector workers. — Bernama
