Over 6,200 vaccinated as Singapore accelerates vaccine roll-out
Eight vaccination centres to open by end-Feb, with T4 and Raffles City Convention Centre already operating
Singapore's vaccination programme is kicking into high gear as it expands its scope and increases its pace, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said yesterday.
Eight vaccination centres will be set up by the end of next month, including two centres at Changi Airport Terminal 4 and Raffles City Convention Centre that are already operational, as well as two more at the former Hong Kah Secondary School and Woodlands Galaxy Community Club, which will begin running next week.
More centres will progressively open as Singapore expands its vaccination programme, added Mr Gan, who co-chairs the multi-ministry task force tackling Covid-19.
Shots will also be given at polyclinics and general practitioner clinics, as well as at healthcare institutions.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital yesterday, Mr Gan said the pace of vaccination is being ramped up from this week, with close to 2,800 vaccinated on Tuesday alone.
More than 6,200 people here have received their first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, and the figure is expected to rise substantially in the coming weeks.
"We are planning to continue to expand the scope of vaccination and increase the pace of vaccination eventually to cover the whole population in Singapore," he said.
Mr Gan and task force co-chair, Education Minister Lawrence Wong, also received their first dose of the vaccine yesterday.
Mr Wong announced that the elderly will start receiving their vaccinations from this month.
The Government had previously announced that seniors aged 70 and above would start getting jabs from next month.
Letters will be sent to inform the elderly of when they can make bookings for their vaccinations.
Since Singapore kicked off its vaccination drive on Dec 30, vaccines have been administered to healthcare workers in public and private healthcare institutions.
LETTERS
Front-line workers, including those at airports and sea ports, as well as swabbers and workers in community care facilities, are also being vaccinated.
Letters will be progressively issued to other Singapore residents when their turn to be vaccinated comes.
Mr Wong said this expansion of the vaccination programme will be timed with the arrival of vaccine shipments.
Mr Gan urged Singapore residents to go for the vaccination when they are offered one, stressing that it will collectively provide protection against the coronavirus to the whole population if a high vaccination rate is achieved.
"This, in turn, will allow us to recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic more quickly.
"It will allow our economy to recover faster, it will also allow us to resume our community activities faster," he said.
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