Two days ago, Penangites were shocked when the state recorded 1,078 new Covid-19 cases. This represents the highest ever daily number for Penang, with the cumulative number of active cases now breaching 4,000.
With the recent upward trend of infections not showing any signs of abating, it is now imperative that the Federal Government’s Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) commence an acceleration of the vaccination drive and not be bogged down by internal politicking.
Penang currently has more than 40 active Covid-19 clusters. As reported recently, the outpatient department at the Penang General Hospital had to be closed in order to be converted into an observation and early treatment ward for Covid-19 patients. Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has also highlighted that intensive care unit (ICU) bed usage in Covid-19 hospitals in Penang is nearing 100%. This underscores the severity of the situation, and if it continues it will be only a matter of time before our healthcare system begins to collapse.
Meanwhile, the continued implementation of various forms of movement control orders despite their clear failure to curb the spread of the virus is threatening to unravel the economic and social fabric of society. With 53 suicide deaths and 19 attempted suicides in the first five months of this year alone, how much more can Penangites take?
Disappointingly, the rollout of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NCIP) in Penang has been one of the slowest in Malaysia. As of this week, only 19.9% of Penangites have been fully vaccinated. Given the current slow pace, many worry whether Penang will be able to achieve herd immunity before social and economic losses arrive at a breaking point.
The safety and livelihood of Penangites is of paramount concern to the State Government. We are ever ready to cooperate with the CITF in ramping up the vaccination drive in Penang. In fact, the State Government has assisted and facilitated the setting up of more than a hundred vaccination centres (PPVs) including public-private initiatives (PIKAS). To ensure no Penangites are left behind, State Government also took the liberty to convert a number of State-sponsored CAT buses into mobile PPVs to be used in outreach vaccination programmes.
Unfortunately, the vaccination drive continues to be riddled with inefficiencies on the side of the Federal Government. The construction industry vaccination programme (CIVac) which was scheduled to begin two days was at the last minute postponed by a week due to problems with vaccine supply. Besides that, the State was recently informed by the Special Committee on Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee (JKJAV) that NCIP coordinating ministers require more time to sort out the logistics for vaccine supply in the coming weeks, thus causing further setbacks.
I strongly urge the Federal Government to get their act together and begin accelerating the delivery of vaccines. Every single day of delay has repercussions in terms of lives and livelihoods lost. The Perikatan Nasional Federal Government may have its hands full with internal political problems, but that is all their own doing and Malaysians should not suffer because of it. If they are unable to manage the vaccination programme effectively and efficiently, then perhaps they should do the honourable thing and make way for a new government that can.