KUALA LUMPUR (July 16): Businesses and retailers in Selangor would like to propose a “vaccination dividend” to reward those who are partly or fully inoculated against Covid-19.
According to an open letter to the Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, they propose that all those who have received their first-dose vaccination shots would be allowed to move and work freely as the efficacy rate of 70% is achieved after the first dose.
“We propose that they are allowed to work full time and their attendance is not counted in the allowed threshold of those working under rotation.
“We also propose that those who have received the complete course of two doses are allowed to dine in, subject to social distancing. Those with only one dose are also allowed to dine in but limited to only two pax per table.
“Furthermore, those who have completed the course of two doses are allowed to partake in all social and entertainment activities such as cinema, gym, spa, theme park, karaoke, pub and bar etc,” according to a letter dated June 16 signed by Malaysia Shopping Malls Association (PPK) president Tan Sri Teo Chiang Kok.
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The letter is a joint urgent appeal by PPK, Malaysia Retailers Association (MRA), Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA), Bumiputra Retailers Organisation (BRO), Malaysia REIT Managers Association (MRMA) and Malaysian Association of Theme Park and Family Attractions (MATFA).
In the letter, they said this “vaccination dividend” reward will encourage all the current anti-vaccine people to avail themselves for vaccination in order to have the opportunity of freedom and peace of mind, adding that this is indeed a win-win strategy both for the state, the economy and the rakyat.
“It is indeed wonderful news that 12% of people in Selangor have been vaccinated. This is in excess of the 10% threshold to exit Phase 1 of the NRP [National Recovery Plan]. We trust that YB Menteri Besar will continue to ensure our fair share of vaccines are allocated taking into account the state’s population and its economic powerhouse, being the largest contributor with a share of 24.2% of the nation’s economy.
“However, since 69% of cases are sporadic and, in the community, at large, we have to accept that the situation is now endemic and thus the absolute number of cases threshold should not be a yardstick for phasing of the NRP.
“We believe the relatively higher number of covid cases of late in Selangor is due to mass testing conducted. This number must be modulated when compared to the lower numbers from other states that do not carry out mass testing,” according to the letter.
The letter said extending any more district-wide lockdowns would be too devastating.
“If there are indeed any high-risk hotspots, then targeted surgical and precision lockdowns building by building should only be conducted. This is so as not to cause undue damage and pain to the rakyat and businesses that do not contribute to the infection and allow all businesses to re-open and operate so that lives and livelihood can begin to repair and recover.
“Kuala Lumpur that adopted this strategy has proven this to be effective, with many locked-down buildings having their lockdown lifted avoiding unnecessary harm and pain to the rakyat and the business,” it added.
To date, Selangor has administered a total of 2.42 million Covid-19 vaccines. A total of 1.82 million individuals have at least received their first dose, while 600,858 were given their second dose — meaning they are fully inoculated.
As for the number of Covid-19 vaccines delivered nationwide, the number stood at 13.11 million.