SEREMBAN: Negri Sembilan will receive nearly triple the doses of Covid-19 vaccines from next month and see the opening of more vaccination centres, allowing 80% of the state’s population to be inoculated ahead of schedule.

       National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the increase in the number of doses was necessary as the number of cases in the state had surged in recent days.

       “Currently, Negri Sembilan gets an average of 7, 000 doses a day and we intend to increase this to 20, 000 a day in July.

       “This has become necessary as the number of cases in the state, which has many industrial areas, have shown an increase, ” he said after a meeting with Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun and members of the state Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force.

       Khairy said with the increase in the number of doses, 80% of the eligible recipients in the state should be inoculated by the end of October.

       “Our initial target was to vaccinate 80% of the Negri Sembilan population by December but with this latest development and the opening of more vaccination centres, I am confident we can achieve this ahead of schedule, ” he added.

       Khairy said two vaccination centres for industries would also be opened in the state.

       The first one will start operation at the d’Tempat Country Club in Bandar Sri Sendayan and the second at the D’ Cattleya Centre in Senawang.

       These centres, he said, will be for industries which had registered under the Public-Private Partnership Covid-19 Industry Immunisation Programme (Pikas).

       The d’Tempat Country Club centre will start operating later this month and will be able to vaccinate up to 1, 500 people a day while the D’Cattleya Centre will open early next month.