Kedah optimistic of moving to Phase 2 of NRP by next week

 

The Kedah state government is optimistic that it will move to Phase 2 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) as early as next week, said Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor.

Sanusi said Kedah had achieved the targeted threshold value for two of the three main indicators for transition: a complete vaccination rate of more than 10 percent and the daily average number of Covid-19 cases.

“Currently, the bed utilisation (in the intensive care unit) is at a limited level and for the phase transition, it needs to be at a moderate level between 60 to 80 percent,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.

He was asked to comment on the state government’s expectation to move to Phase 2 of the NRP and the efforts made to facilitate the move.

He said the threshold value for the intensive care unit bed utilisation rate could be achieved following the enhanced movement control order (EMCO) implementation in several localities in the Kuala Muda district, which was expected to contain Covid-19 transmission.

Sanusi said vaccination efforts in the state would also be enhanced through The Public-Private Partnership Industrial Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, focusing on industrial workers in Kulim and the tourism sector in Langkawi.

He said Kedah would receive 520,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine in stages, of which 135,000 doses will be received this week, 143,000 doses in the second week, 82,000 doses in the third week and 160,000 doses in the fourth week of this month.

“The current daily vaccination rate of 14,000 people will also increase when the industrial PPV (vaccination centres) start operating this week in Kulim and Sungai Petani as well as in Langkawi,” he said.

- Bernama