SURGE CAPACITY
CITF making arrangements to boost supplies and capacity, says Khairy
FOLLOWING the drastic increase in Covid-19 infections in the Klang Valley, a new initiative will ensure every adult resident in Selangor and KL receives at least one vaccine dose by Aug 1. This will require 272,000 doses to be administered daily to 1.3m people.
THE government has launched a new initiative dubbed “Operation Surge Capacity” for Kuala Lumpur and Selangor to accelerate the vaccination drive amid the spike in Covid-19 cases in the Klang Valley.
Covid-19 National Immunisation Programme (NIP) Coordinating Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said under this operation, the government would ensure that every adult resident of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur aged 18 and above will receive at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine by Aug 1.
“This is a new initiative that we have worked out as agreed by the National Security Council on Thursday and discussed this morning (yesterday) with the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF), along with the Selangor menteri besar and the federal territories minister.
“Following the drastic increase in fresh Covid-19 infections, especially of late in the Klang Valley, CITF is making arrangements to boost the supplies and vaccination capacity, particularly in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, which have become the epicentre of the outbreak in the country.
“Operation Surge Capacity is an extraordinary effort that we will implement with the target of administering the first vaccine dose to the remaining adult population in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur from July 26 to Aug 1.
“The second dose is expected to be completed by the end of August according to the set period,” he said in a joint virtual press conference with Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba yesterday.
Khairy said 6.1 million people comprising the adult population in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor were targeted to receive at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine by Aug 1.
“Up to July 15, 3.5 million of them have received their first dose. Another 1.3 million people are targeted to receive the first dose up until July 25 and the remaining 1.3 million are targeted to receive the first dose until Aug 1.”
He said to achieve the goal, the government would have to increase the vaccine supplies and capacity in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur to better manage the outbreak. The two states would see a boost from the existing 180,000 doses per day to 272,000 doses per day from July 26 to Aug 1 (of which 181,000 are for the first dose and 91,000 for the second dose), he said.
“For the same purpose, we are also making adjustments to the delivery of vaccine supplies to the states to match the capacity to be increased. Vaccination capacity at all vaccination centres (PPVs), including those under ProtectHealth will be increased.”
Khairy, who is also science, technology and innovation minister, said to ensure the success of the operation, all adults aged 18 and above in the Klang Valley should register themselves for the Covid-19 vaccine.
He said 11 per cent of the population aged 18 and above in the Klang Valley had yet to register.
“Efforts to intensify the vaccination in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur are similar to when we launched a mission for Labuan previously to control the spread there.
“To date, the Federal Territory of Labuan has successfully vaccinated 85.3 per cent of its adult population. Its infectious rate, or Rt value, until yesterday (Thursday) is the second lowest in the country, above only Perlis, which is 0.84, with only 26 cases recorded.
“We hope the same model and results can be adapted and achieved in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur,” he added.
For eligible adults who may not be in the government’s system — undocumented migrants or people without valid documents — Khairy said the government has decided to open up all PPVs in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor to allow walk-ins effective Aug 1.
“Once the operation ends on Aug 1, these individuals can walk in for their jabs. This is to ensure we cover all those eligible for the vaccine in these two states.”
Khairy also announced that all registered and unregistered senior citizens (aged 60 and above) who have not received an appointment can walk-in to any PPVs in the Klang Valley for their Covid-19 jabs starting today.