KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 11 – A total of 83 per cent or 951,739 students of higher learning institutions (IPT) have completed two doses of COVID-19 vaccine as of Oct 1, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad.
She said for IPT staff, a total of 117,721 people or 90 per cent had completed two doses of vaccine.
“Overall, we have 1.15 million students. When students start entering campus in stages from Oct 15, they will be screened with self-test kits to monitor and curb the spread of COVID-19 despite being fully inoculated. Screening will be done periodically.
“If any students are infected or become close contacts, we will place them in isolation or quarantine centres prepared by each IPT. IPT operations will not be shut, instead the Teaching and Learning (PdP) activities of the students will be postponed,” she said during the question-and-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.
She added that if an IPT recorded a serious number of cases, closure of the IPT would be considered and it was subject to the advice of the Ministry of Health (MOH).
Noraini was replying to a question from Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir (PH-Johor Bahru) on the development of the vaccination programme for IPT students and the strategy of reopening IPT.
On Sept 14, Noraini had announced that the physical admission of IPT students to campuses will be implemented in stages starting Oct 15, involving students who have completed COVID-19 vaccination.
It encompasses all categories of students and all phases of the National Recovery Plan (PPN) with priority given to students in need.
Through the admission process based on standard operating procedures (SOP) of the Higher Education Sector: Operation of IPT, Noraini said apart from students, only staff who had completed COVID-19 vaccination and passed the vaccine effectiveness period were allowed to be on campus.
