COVID-19 Vaccination Programme under Transport Sector

Ministry of Transport, Sarawak in a statement issued today (2 July) informed that State Government is accelerating the vaccination for COVID-19 to attain herd immunity target in the State which needs to be achieved by 31^st August 2021. 

In this respect, priority for vaccination for COVID-19 should be given to front liners and people who are providing service under essential services and these include people in the transport sector including p-hailing riders for delivery of food and drinks.

It is important that all front liners get vaccinated as they interact with the public daily.

A total of 9,827 names of forwarding agencies and public transport drivers were compiled by Ministry of Transport, Sarawak and submitted to the respective Divisional Resident Offices and Divisional Health Offices.

The Ministry of Transport, Sarawak, has been working closely with the Resident Offices and Divisional Medical Offices to ensure that the transport frontliners are vaccinated.

Below is the number of drivers from the respective occupation whose names have been submitted for vaccination:

1. Forwarding agencies (including lorry drivers) – 1,576
2. Bus drivers – 645
3. Driving school instructors – 800
4. E-hailing drivers – 4,677
5. Taxi driver -1,147
6. P-hailing (parcel-hailing) food delivery riders – 982
7. Riverine transport operators – 617
8. Aviation staffs – 1,718

Based on the feedback of lorry drivers, the Ministry was made to understand that so far 1397 lorry drivers have been vaccinated and that is 89% of the lorry driver name list submitted by Sarawak Forwarding Agency Association.

This includes 101 lorry drivers out of 151 lorry drivers from Miri who are involved with transporting goods to Brunei and also to Limbang and Lawas passing through Brunei.

Recently, Brunei authority requires all foreign transporters to or through Brunei need to be vaccinated. This policy is enforced with effect from 13^th July 2021. As of today, many of the public transport frontliners who have not been vaccinated have already have been contacted by the respective Divisional Health Offices or Resident Office on their appointment dates.