BINTULU, June 17 — The Sarawak government will set up a vaccination centre (PPV) in the Kidurong Industrial Zone here after opening a similar one at the Samalaju Industrial Park, said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg today.
He said the move was aimed at facilitating COVID-19 vaccination to oil and gas sector workers in the zone, thus accelerating the achievement of the target of 80 per cent of Sarawak’s population being vaccinated (herd immunity) by August.
“We will have another vaccination centre in the Kidurong area because we have oil and gas companies and contractors operating there. The system and process (of vaccination) will be the same as Samalaju,” he said.
He told this to reporters after visiting the PPV at Press Metal Bintulu Sdn Bhd at the Samalaju Industrial Park near here.
Abang Johari said the decision to open the PPV in Samalaju was because the government did not want industrial workers in the area not to be vaccinated due to some problems such as not being able to go to the PPV in Bintulu town, which is located more than 77km from there.
He said the decision was also taken due to the outbreak of COVID-19 infection among industrial workers in the area.
Meanwhile, in addition to vaccinating more than 6,000 of its employees, Press Metal is also allowing its facilities to be used for the purpose of vaccinating workers from other companies operating in the industrial park.
Abang Johari said more than 200,000 residents in Bintulu were eligible for vaccination and that the vaccination rate of 3,000 people a day would be increased to 5,000 people a day and that the target could be achieved with the opening of the PPV in the industrial areas.
He also said that the state government’s ‘inject first, register later’ approach will be expanded in Bintulu, especially for the Sebauh, Tatau, PPR Bandaria Park and Sungai Plan areas in the near future.
