PETALING JAYA: The Construction Industry Vaccination Programme (CIVac) will be key in protecting workers in the vital sector and expediting Malaysia’s economic recovery.
-Advertisement-
A joint effort between the works ministry through the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), CIVac will see industry players and workers in six zones – central, north, south and east Peninsula, along with Sabah and Sarawak – receiving their Covid-19 vaccines.
CIVac, which will complement the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK), will see contractors, developers, consultants, concessionaires, suppliers, workers, supervisors, project managers and administrative personnel receive their vaccinations at selected locations.
The programme began on Thursday at the CIDB Convention Centre in Jalan Cheras for construction workers in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, and will kick off in Selangor at the National Panasonic Sports Complex on July 14.
The first phase of registration for CIVac was opened for 40,000 construction workers in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor on June 21, with all the slots taken up within 24 hours.
“This shows the willingness of the industry players to accelerate the immunisation rate of the community,” said works minister Fadillah Yusof during his visit to the centre.
-Advertisement-
“Based on this very encouraging response, the works ministry has applied for another 200,000 doses of vaccines for 100,000 construction personnel from the Covid-19 vaccine supply access guarantee special committee (JKJAV) for the second phase of CIVac.
“The ministry will increase the number according to the demand and needs of the construction industry.”
Fadillah said that based on the positive response, the second phase of CIVac will be opened in Penang, Johor and Pahang. It will also be expanded to Sabah and Sarawak upon demand.
The programme is open to all local and foreign workers, even those without proper documentation or CIDB green cards.
The works ministry estimates that two million vaccine doses are needed for construction workers nationwide to ensure they are all immunised against Covid-19.
CIVac participation is on a voluntary basis, and construction companies and employees are encouraged to register for the vaccinations to help accelerate the country’s immunisation rate.-FMT