By Adrian Lim
KUCHING, Feb 27: A total of 1,688 frontliners have been jabbed with the Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech yesterday.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg disclosed the number of individuals who were administered with the Covid-19 vaccine during a press conference after launching the state-level Covid-19 vaccination programme at Stadium Petra Jaya here today.
“Yesterday, we have achieved our target for those who need to be vaccinated.
“That was 1,688 individuals.
“We (have) managed to get our target yesterday,” he said.
Abang Johari, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Minister for Local Government and Housing Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian, State Health director Dr Chin Zin Hing were among the frontliners who received the Covid-19 vaccine under the first phase of the vaccination programme yesterday.
The chief minister disclosed that the vaccination programme in Sarawak will be implemented in three phases over a period of seven months.
For the first shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine which involved 23,400 doses, Abang Johari revealed that the first phase of the vaccination programme will be administered to 97,161 frontliners.
For the second phase of the vaccination programme, Sarawak will receive six shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine involving 87,750 doses.
The chief minister said the second phase of the vaccination programme in April and May will involve 956,435 people which consisted of senior citizens and high-risk groups.
He added Sarawak will receive another six shipments for the third phase of the vaccination programme which involve 999,834 individuals who are aged 18 years and above.
Abang Johari said they will be jabbed between May and August 2021.
He hoped that the vaccination exercises to be carried out from now until August will enable Sarawak to break the chain of Covid-19 transmission.
Among those who present at the launching of the state-level vaccination programme include Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Dr Sim, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, Utilities Minister Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom and State Secretary Datuk Amar Jaul Samion. —DayakDaily
