KUCHING, Feb 10 — The state government aims to accelerate the national Covid-19 vaccination programme in Sarawak in order to complete the process by August instead of February next year, said Local Government and Housing minister Datuk Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian.

He told a press conference today that the state government would work with the Health Ministry to find ways to speed up the programme for Sarawak when it is rolled out at the end of this month.

"According to the national Covid-19 vaccination programme, it is scheduled to be completed by February next year (2021) but we want to finish it as soon as possible for the state,” he said.

Among the things Sarawak could do to help for now was providing those who run the programme with the needed logistics help for assistance, he said.

"We want to make sure that we reach our target of completing the programme by August by discussing with the relevant authorities involved in the programme on what can we do to speed up the programme,” he said.

Sarawak is aiming to vaccinate at least two million people for the programme.

The National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme announced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin recently is expected to reach over 80 per cent of the population or 26.5 million people by February next year.

He said in a televised address last week that the programme would involve three phases starting with some 500,000 frontliners, consisting of healthcare workers as well as non-healthcare workers.

The second phase is expected to be implemented from April to August for high risk Covid-19 groups such as senior citizens above 60 years old; those with morbidities like heart disease, obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure, and the disabled, involving some 9.4 million people.

And in the third phase from May this year to February next year, adults ages 18 and above will be immunised.

The prime minister said the first shipment of Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, which is scheduled to arrive in the country this month, has been found to be 95 per cent effective against the virus. — Borneo Post Online