KUCHING, March 12: A Sarawak People’s Aspiration Party (Aspirasi) leader calls on the authorities concerned to give priority to school teachers in terms of Covid-19 vaccination.
Wong Ching King, who is Aspirasi candidate for Repok, said teachers including those from kindergartens and non-teaching staff should be given priority in receiving the vaccination.
He said the reason why all teachers must be given the priority to be vaccinated is not only to protect the health of the teaching and non-teaching staff, but also to prevent the spread of the virus in schools or kindergartens.
It is also to avoid parents from worrying too much about their own safety and the safety of their children.
“As far as I know, the authorities have not started Covid-19 vaccination for teachers and staff in primary schools and kindergartens that have resumed classes fully,” said Wong in a press statement today.
He said opening of schools worries all school staff, students and parents.
“If a teacher is infected with the virus, it will be a big threat to the safety of students,” said Wong.
He said that as an educator cannot avoid to have close contact with students in schools every day, it would be extremely unwise for the authorities if teachers are not given priority status as Covid-19 vaccine recipients.
To Wong, if many politicians may be prioritised to receive vaccination, there is no reason not to give priority to school teachers and non-teaching staff in schools.
Sarawak has rolled out its immunisation programme with the arrival of three batches of Pfizer BioNTech vaccine. In Sarawak, however, the frontliners are given the priority to receive the vaccination and they do not include teachers or non-teaching staff of any educational establishments. — DayakDaily
