KUCHING: Vaccination centres in Sarawak have been given the green light by the state Covid-19 immunisation task force (CITF) to conduct walk-in vaccinations.

       The state disaster management committee said the walk-in initiative was for those who have not yet received an appointment for their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

       "They are advised to call their respective divisional disaster management committees from July 23 to Aug 5 to get an appointment for the walk-in vaccination," the committee said in a statement on Wednesday (July 21).

       The divisional committees' contact numbers are as follows: Kuching 082-507 700/507 022; Samarahan 082-673 833; Serian 082-872 472; Sri Aman 083-320 084; Betong 083-472 866; Sarikei 084-654 396; Sibu 084-317 934/315 653/322 581; Kapit 013-668 9968; Mukah 084-872 088; Bintulu 086-331 742; Miri 085-322 737 and Limbang 085-211 744.

       "The state CITF emphasises the importance of completing the vaccine doses according to the type of vaccine and the set interval," the committee said.

       Sarawak has one of the fastest vaccination rates in the country, with 77.9% of the adult population having received their first dose and 47.3% completing both doses as of Tuesday (July 20).

       Meanwhile, the committee said Sarawak reported 261 new Covid-19 cases and one death on Wednesday, taking the state's cumulative tally to 72,213 with 450 fatalities.

       Nearly half the new cases were from Kuching at 106, while 20 other districts recorded between one and 33 cases each.

       The latest fatality was a 58-year-old man with hypertension, diabetes and heart disease who died at the Sarawak General Hospital here.