KUALA LUMPUR: Businesses must constantly adapt to the new norms, including through digitalisation, rather than just relying on vaccines as a solution, Department of Statistics Malaysia chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said.

He said the national vaccine rollout programme would definitely help to mitigate the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing more economic sectors to resume and perhaps gradually permit international borders to reopen.

"Nevertheless, businesses should not look at the vaccines as a solution and they should continuously adapt to the new norms.

"With the rapid pace of e-commerce adoption due to physical distancing and lockdown measures, digitalisation is unquestionably the way forward," he said in a statement today.

Hence, Mohd Uzir said, the recently launched holistic Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint was opportune as it outlined focus areas of digitalisation, including nurturing talents, providing a safe and secure digital environment, and growing focus areas within the economic sectors.

-- BERNAMA