A larger-than-usual crowd at the Serian PPV. – Photo courtesy of UKAS
SERIAN (June 16): The Covid-19 vaccination centre (PPV) for Serian was packed with more people than usual yesterday as they tried their luck to be vaccinated on walk-in basis, said a report by Sarawak Public Communications Unit (Ukas).
Serian district officer Lim Hock Meng was quoted as saying there was congestion at the PPV at Serian Community Hall as people lined up as early as 7am to get the vaccine.
He said it was later found that the higher human traffic was because many tried to get the vaccine although they did not receive any appointment for vaccination through their MySejahtera mobile app or from their respective community leaders.
“When I visited the PPV this morning, it was packed with many people including some who had come all the way from Kuching. I was told many of them come for ‘walk-in’ vaccination and not because they received any appointment from MySejahtera, or District Office and Resident’s Office. Neither did they receive any appointment through their community leaders or their village security and development committee (JKKK).
“I call on the public not to come for walk-in vaccination at this PPV in Serian, because such policy is actually only applicable for interior areas as announced recently, unless there is new directive from the Ministry of Health or Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC),” he said.
Meanwhile, the deputy chairman of Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) for Serian, Dr Edmund Shin Chin Vui, also called on the public not to come to the PPV in Serian without any appointment in order to prevent unwanted congestion.
He also advised those who received their appointments to come promptly according to the date and time given to them.
“This PPV at the Serian Community Hall has a target of 800 to 1,000 doses of vaccine daily,” he said as quoted in the Ukas report.
He advised those who could not turn up for their vaccination appointment at Serian PPV to contact the Serian Vaccination Hotline at 014-383 2685, 014-313 2685, 016-404 2685 or 010-383 2685.