Sarawak aims to reopen economy after completing vaccination drive in August

Economic activities in Sarawak are expected to resume when herd immunity is achieved after 80% of the people in the state have received their Covid-19 vaccines in the third week of August.

Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg said once herd immunity is attained, the threat of Covid-19 infection would be reduced and the people could feel safer about carrying out their economic activities as usual.

“Our benchmark is 80% (people vaccinated) and maybe then the normal situation can return,” he told reporters after visiting an industry vaccination centre (PPVIN) at University College of Technology Sarawak (UCTS) in Sibu today.

However, he said the lifestyle would change even after things return to normal as the people would still have to adhere to SOPs such as wearing face masks and practising good personal hygiene.

He said as of yesterday, 64% or 149,743 people in the Sibu division had received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.

Meanwhile, he said about 13,000 industry workers including those from shipping companies, wood-based industries and plantations would be given vaccine jabs at the UCTS PPVIN from Monday onwards.

He said the centre, which is capable of administering 2,000 shots of vaccine each day, would be opened to the public after all industry workers have received their first dose.

Abang Johari had earlier launched two buses for the Covid-19 outreach vaccination programme which are part of four mobile teams in Sibu to travel to targeted locations to vaccinate the elderly and bedridden individuals who cannot go to PPVs.