Grounds for optimism
Klang Valley within striking distance of achieving 100% rate of first dose for adult population
Klang Valley is close to achieving a 100% rate of first- dose jabs, and immunity could be within sight as walk- in vaccinations are opened to residents aged 40 and above and persons with comorbidities from tomorrow. There are grounds to be optimistic that gradual improvements could happen as early as this month.
PETALING JAYA: The Klang Valley, the hardest hit region in the country’s Covid-19 outbreak, is close to achieving a 100% rate of first-dose vaccinations.
As at 11.59pm on July 30, a total of 5,565,789 people, or 90.3% of the adult population, in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya have received their first dose, according to the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF).
An initiative known as “Operation Surge Capacity” started on July 16, aiming to ensure that all the estimated 6.1 million residents in the Klang Valley aged 18 and above receive at least one dose of the vaccine by today.
Since July 16, between 113,742 and 156,757 people per day were given their first dose.
“We will be close to achieving the 6.1 million target, but we will need to consolidate all of the relevant data after Aug 1,” Dr Ong Kian Ming, the operation’s coordinator for the Selangor government, said when asked when the 6.1 million target would be met.
Operation Surge Capacity has also helped to increase the percentage of second-dose recipients in the Klang Valley.
As at July 30, a total of 2,113,511 people or 34.3% of the Klang Valley’s adult population have received their second dose.
Asked when an improvement in the Klang Valley’s outbreak would start to happen, Ong said there was cause for optimism ahead, especially when looking at the situation in Labuan.
The Federal Territory has recorded a turnaround following a rampup in vaccinations, with 79.8% of its adult population now fully vaccinated.
“Looking at evidence from Labuan and other countries, we can expect the number of serious cases in the Klang Valley to decrease as the number and percentage of fully vaccinated people increase,” said Ong, adding that he was cautiously optimistic that a gradual improvement could begin to happen in the Klang Valley as early as this month.