KUALA LUMPUR, June 20 — The availability of Covid-19 vaccine injections through the MyMedic@Wilayah Vaccine Mobile Truck programme today has boosted the confidence of 2,154 workers of the Kuala Lumpur Wholesale Market (PBKL) to continue working at the high-risk area to ensure continuity of the fresh produce supply chain to users.
Vegetable trader, Lee Kok Ming, 40, said he was thankful for the initiative by the Federal Territories Ministry, thus reducing the anxiety of working in areas prone to Covid infection.
“The wholesale market has been closed many times due to the detection of positive cases of Covid-19. I myself have undergone screening tests for more than six times during this pandemic but I feel more secure now after receiving the vaccination,” he said when met during the programme.
Trolley pusher, Muhamad Rohaizam Shafiq Mohd Zamry, 21, was also relieved when his wait to receive the vaccine after registering on the Mysejahtera application in March ended today.
“It’s a worrying time every day at work but what can I do. I have to earn a living. Apart from the MySejahtera app, I had also tried to register for the (opt-in) AstraZeneca vaccine before but without success,” he added.
Lorry driver M. Vijayah, 54, said although the vaccine is not a guarantee to prevent COVID infection but least workers, who deal with customers on a daily basis, have extra protection after getting the injection.
Meanwhile, Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa hoped that the priority of vaccinating PBKL workers would help ease the public’s fears when they visit the wholesale market, which is one of the main suppliers of food and fresh produce in the Klang Valley.
“This wholesale market has gone through (triggering) two clusters, namely during the beginning of the movement control order (MCO) 1.0 and recently involving more than 100 traders who were found positive for the Covid-19 infection.
“Therefore, we feel that wholesale market workers should be given priority to receive the injections (vaccines) so that they can continue their business activities in a more secure environment,” he said when inspecting the mobile vaccine truck operations. — Bernama
