BINTULU, June 17 — The state government has set up a vaccine administration centre at the Samalaju Industrial Park here for the mass vaccination of workers, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg said today.

He said this approach will help the state reach the target of vaccinating 80 per cent of its population by August.

"We don’t want to see the workers in Samalaju Industrial Park in Bintulu not given the vaccination because of many factors including they are not able to go to the vaccination centres.

"So we have taken a decision to set up the vaccination centre, and today, we come to Press Metal Bintulu Sdn Bhd which has over 6,000 workers.

"That is why we set up the vaccination centre at Press Metal to enable its workers to be vaccinated,” he told reporters after visiting the vaccination centre at the company’s premises here.

The chief minister said the company has also agreed to allow workers from other multinational companies at the Samalaju Industrial Park to be vaccinated at the vaccination centre after all its workers have been given the jabs.

Abang Johari said the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) has given the green light for these multinational companies to send their workers to be vaccinated at Press Metal.

"We will also set up another vaccination centre at Kidurong Industrial Park, also in Bintulu, where we have a number of oil and gas companies and their contractors who are operating there.

"The process is also the same as in Samalaju,” he said.

He said there are about 200, 000 individuals, including foreign workers, who are eligible to receive the vaccination.

He said the current capacity in Bintulu is 3,000 doses per day.

"If we add up with other vaccination centres which we have identified at workplaces, the capacity will be more than 5,000 per day,” he said.

The chief minister said he expected about 80 per cent of the eligible individuals in Bintulu to be vaccinated by August.

"If this happens, I feel it will more or less help to flatten the Covid-19 infection curve,” he said.

He said the state government will also allow "jab first and register later” approach or walk-in vaccination for the local community in Bintulu.

"This is because they have a problem with registration through MySejahtera App,” he said, adding areas outside Bintulu town such as Sebauh, Tatau and even areas inside Bintulu itself are also facing difficulties in registering their names through MySejahtera for an appointment.

"If their names are not being listed, then we just vaccinate them and then they register their particulars later,” he said.

He said this approach, which is being used in Bukit Mabong district in Kapit Division, will help to get more people vaccinated.