Vaccine: Govt focusing on industries operating currently - Khairy

COVID-19 National Immunisation Programme (PICK) coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the government will only look into other sectors such as tourism once this is completed.

"We will first focus on industries that are operating during the movement control. (Currently), many factories have to operate. Only after that, we will look at the other sectors.

"Perhaps, when we get to phase two or three (of the National Recovery Plan), I will have talks with the Chief Minister (Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali) and shift our focus to the tourism sector such as hospitality, hotels, trishaw riders and so on," he said.

He was speaking to reporters after attending a state-level Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) meeting that was chaired by Sulaiman.

Khairy who is also the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, said he expected the immunisation programme to be completed in Melaka by November with additional vaccination centres (PPV) being opened and the delivery of more vaccine doses in July.

He said among the PPVs to be opened in Melaka in July are Yayasan Toh Puan Zarina, the drive-thru PPV at the Melaka International Airport, three private hospitals and 36 health clinics, all of which will increase vaccination capacity to 13,000 doses a day compared to the average of 7,000 doses a day currently.

"I have informed the Chief Minister that so far we have only delivered a total of about 200,000 doses of vaccine since last February to Melaka but for July alone, we will send 368,000 doses.

"We are trying to accommodate requests from the Chief Minister who is very concerned about the reopening of Melaka's economic sector as the state is heavily dependent on tourism, retail and other sectors," he said.