International trade and industry minister Azmin Ali said, from the total, 255 companies involving 14,357 workers were industry players in Johor.
“I hope this programme will proceed smoothly and can be completed on schedule.
“I was given the assurance by the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin and health minister Dr Adham Baba that the supply of vaccines will be stepped up in July and August.
“This is to meet the need of the economic sector because the implementation of Pikas currently is only for the manufacturing and factory sectors.
“After this, we will proceed with the plantation and construction sectors as well as other sectors,” he told a media conference after visiting the industrial vaccination centre (PPV) at the Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (Rapid) project in Pengerang here today.
Meanwhile, he said the government suggested for the industrial PPV under Pikas to also be used to vaccinate families and communities in the vicinity of the industries.
“This is because the industrial PPVs are already in existence. They (private sector) are also prepared to extend this service to the families of the workers and also the local communities near the PPV,” he said, adding that the process would be provided for free.
In another development, Azmin said three more industrial PPVs were being planned in Penang soon to help speed up the vaccination of industrial workers.
“The Covid-19 immunisation task force and my ministry will go down to the field to look at the facilities. If they fulfil the conditions set by the health ministry, the three additional PPVs will be approved in the next one to two days,” he said.
For the record, three onsite PPVs and six common-use PPVs had been set up under Pikas to date.
Pikas was launched on June 12 as a response to the proposal of industrial associations, chambers of commerce and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to help speed up vaccination, specifically involving workers with the vaccination conducted at identified factory premises and industrial locations.