12,106 have received Covid-19 vaccine in Sarawak today

File photo depicting a dose of a Covid-19 vaccine being prepared. Photo source: Flickr, Creative Commons License

KUCHING, June 9: A total of 12,106 people in Sarawak have been inoculated with Covid-19 vaccines under the State Covid-19 Immunisation Programme at various vaccination facilities throughout the State today.

The State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC), in its daily updates of Covid-19 situation in Sarawak, reported that a total of 5,234 people have received their first dose and 6,872 people have completed their two doses today.

Overall, SDMC revealed that a total of 254,743 residents in Sarawak or 8.9 per cent of total Sarawak population have received the first dose of vaccines while a total of 125,650 residents have completed the two doses which is equivalent to 4.3 per cent of Sarawak’s population.

According to Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee (JKJAV), a total of 1.25 million people in Sarawak have registered for vaccinations as of yesterday.

Meanwhile, another large shipment of 384,000 doses of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine for Sarawak’s June and July supply arrived at Kuching International Airport (KIA) on a MAS Cargo plane here today to boost the State vaccination drive.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas who was on site to receive the shipment expressed optimism that Sarawak is on course to have a more comprehensive Covid-19 immunisation programme with the arrival of the vaccine.

He added that the State has carried out extensive planning in the last few months to fully utilise the increased Covid-19 vaccine supplies.

More importantly, Uggah, who is SDMC chairman, emphasised that 11 special mobile outreach teams will be deployed to the rural interior of Sarawak including Song, Kapit, Bukit Mabong and Belago districts to ramp up Covid-19 vaccination among rural folks.

“The mobile teams will be assigned to designated centres where longhouse and village folks in each area will converge for the mass vaccination to be carried out,” he said in a statement today.

Uggah highlighted that each team is expected to inoculate some 250 people daily.

Apart from the mobile teams, the State government is also looking into establishing 102 public vaccination centres across Sarawak by using facilities such as stadiums, community halls, offices and longhouses.

“The target is to roll out 42,500 vaccine shots daily,” he added. — DayakDaily