KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 — The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) is in the final phase of making vaccination of all employees in the retail sector one of the pre-conditions for approval for companies to resume operation, during the National Recovery Plan (PPN) period.

Its minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said this was especially for economic activities that involved face-to-face contact and interaction.

"The retail, distribution and services are among important economic sectors for the development of the country.

"They are also sectors which have been adversely affected by the implementation of the movement control order (MCO) where almost the entire retail sector is not allowed to operate except those in essential services.

"Therefore, the ministry hopes that the vaccination to the workers in the retail sector can be expedited to enable the business to reopen and operate fully earlier under PPN,” he said in a statement today.

He said the ministry was also looking into expanding the industrial vaccination centres (PPVIN) for the retail industry vaccination programme (RiVAC) outside the Klang Valley, especially in Johor and Penang, in the near future.

"Additional PPVIN will accelerate the achievement of the Operation Surge Capacity objective which targets 100 per cent of the Klang Valley population to receive at least the first dose of the vaccine by August 1.

He said there were currently five RiVAC PPVINs in the Klang Valley that started operations this week and one RiVAC PPVIN in Melaka would start operating in early August.

He said thus far, a total of 226,353 employees in the retail and distribution industry nationwide had registered through 4,033 companies with the RiVAC.

"As of yesterday, a total of 2,348 people had received the first dose of vaccine at the RiVAC PPVIN at Mid Valley Exhibition Centre (MVEC); 1,206 people at the RiVAC PPVIN at IOI City Mall and 779 people at the RiVAC PPVIN Petaling Jaya Performing Arts Centre, in Bandar Utama,” he said.

Further information and registration can be made through the KPDNHEP portal at rov.kpdnhep.gov.my/rov or directly contact the Trade Distribution and Services Industry Secretariat (SPIP) at 03-8882 5881/ 5905 or via email to rov@kpdnhep.gov.my. — Bernama