Food delivery riders should be vaccinated as frontliners - Semambu rep

 

PKR’s Semambu assemblyperson Lee Chean Chung has urged the Pahang state government to prioritise inoculating food delivery riders against Covid-19, as they are considered frontliners as well.

“I have written a letter to the Pahang Health Department asking for the vaccinations of food delivery riders to be prioritised,” Lee said in a statement posted on Facebook earlier today.

This issue was brought to his attention after he received a letter dated July 16 from a local food delivery company, which expressed concern for their riders and urged for their prompt vaccination.

“Even though the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government has promised that the (food delivery) riders will be prioritised for the vaccinations, starting from July, they still have yet to receive any information until this day.

“Riders are frontliners. Every day, dozens of workers from this company send 400 to 500 orders throughout Kuantan.

“Why is it that the PN government is so late in vaccinating them?” said Lee.

On June 24, National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme Coordinating Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said that the government will prioritise inoculating food delivery riders, alongside e-hailing drivers and p-hailing riders, against Covid-19 from July onwards.

The government’s inaction on the matter had previously drawn criticism from the likes of Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh, who also called for the vaccination of those providing delivery and e-hailing services to be expedited.

Last week, Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong announced that the government has started coordinating Covid-19 vaccination for workers in the transport sector, which includes delivery riders.

In his statement today, Lee (above) also drew attention to Kuantan’s population at large who have yet to be vaccinated.

“Many complained that they still could not get a vaccination appointment date. Some have been on the list since February. Some are over 60 years old.

“Is Kuantan, which is often under the enhanced movement control order (EMCO), not serious in their eyes?

“Are the ministers and leaders of PN/Barisan Nasional (BN) here too busy politicking?” he said.

As of July 17, 72.8 percent of Pahang’s population have registered for the Covid-19 vaccination drive, with only 18.7 percent having received their first dose. - Mkini