KUCHING, June 22: The “jab first, register later” adopted in Kapit has been highly effective when it comes to the administering of Covid-19 vaccines to the division’s rural residents where just yesterday, a total of 4,128 people were vaccinated.
Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing said if there were to be more vaccines, the Kapit team may even vaccinate up to 6,000 per day.
Masing who is the Baleh assemblyman had spent two days (June 21 to 22) inspecting vaccination sites both in rural and urban areas in Kapit Division.
Yesterday, he visited SK Nanga Oyan vaccination centre which was set up to serve 11 longhouses within its vicinity.
The 256 residents in the 11 longhouses had used their own funds to make the trip to the centre.
Today, Masing visited vaccination centres in Kapit town including the centres at SMK Kapit II and at Jalan Selirik.
“Those vaccinated in Kapit town consisted not only of people in Kapit and from neighbouring longhouses, but people from Kapit who reside in Sibu, Bintulu and Kuching, who found it so difficult to get their turns to be vaccinated via MySejahtera,” said Masing in a statement today.
He said the Kapit medical team led by Dr Hamidi Mohamad Sharkawi and Kapit Resident Nyurak Keti has been very flexible and has allowed those who walk in to get vaccinated as long as they can produce their Mykad.
There are 16 vaccination teams working at any one time in Kapit Division and yesterday, they managed to vaccinate as many as 4,128.
“If vaccines are available, Dr Hamidi and team can vaccinate up to 6,000 people per day.
“If there are 21,000 vaccines per week as promised by Kuala Lumpur, Kapit Division can attain 80 per cent herd immunity by end of July 2021,” said Masing.
Masing who is also Infrastructure and Port Development Minister pointed out that Sarawak’s target of 80 per cent herd immunity by August may also be achieved due to Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg’s approach of “jab first, register later” as “it makes it so easy to get Malaysians vaccinated in rural and semi-urban towns”.
“My observation on the vaccination procedures is that they are smooth and very well organised. This orderly process is applicable both in rural and in town vaccination centres.
“All people to be vaccinated were very orderly. They waited for their turn patiently. The people I talked to were very grateful to be jabbed in order to be protected from Covid-19,” said Masing. — DayakDaily
