KUCHING: Local authorities are advised to actively go out to register more people for Covid-19 vaccination.
Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian said other local authorities could follow the example of Kuching South City Council (MBKS) that has helped many people register for the vaccination.
He explained that although half of the population in the state have registered, not all people know how to register using the MySejahtera application.
Thus, it would be useful to intensify the registration process with the help of community leaders who can show people, especially in villages, how to register via MySejahtera.
In urban areas, registration is carried out at markets and various other public places in order to know how many people want to be vaccinated.
Dr Sim spoke about this to reporters while attending a registration exercise organised by Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) at a wet market in Kota Sentosa on Sunday (Mar 28).
While he was there, he thanked MPP chairman Lo Khere Chiang and deputy chairman Datuk Ahmad Ibrahim as well as their staff for setting up the registration counter.
Dr Sim noted that although half of the population has registered to be vaccinated, that is not enough because the state needs 70 percent of the people to be vaccinated to achieve group or herd immunity.
“Having 70 percent vaccinated can stop the pandemic. If this is not achieved, the virus will mutate and produce new variants.
“Even if we have been vaccinated against one variant, we can still be infected with another variant,” he said.
Therefore, he said, as long as not all people in the state have been vaccinated, we will not be protected from the virus.
He explained that based on the pattern of cases reported in the state, as many as 40 percent showed symptoms in January while 10 percent showed symptoms in March.
“The virus continues to mutate. In May or June, no one knows. Will the virus be weak or strong?
“Hence, everyone should be vaccinated at a rapid rate to stop this transmission. When the transmission is stopped, it will not mutate,” he said.
