GEORGE TOWN: Penang will seek to be moved into Phase Two of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) as it has met the three indicators required, says Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.

       He said 10.1% of the population in the state had received two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine as of Saturday.

       “I was informed that the relevant ministries have discussed the ‘transition’ for Penang to be tabled in a special session of the National Security Council (NSC),” he said in a statement yesterday.

       The NSC meeting is to be held today.

       Under the NRP, the three indicators to move into Phase Two are the number of daily Covid-19 cases, the number of people fully vaccinated and the condition of the healthcare system.

       In a virtual meeting with 11 trade organisations, organised by Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) Penang on the “Status of the Vaccination in Penang” on Saturday, Chow said he was optimistic that the state would receive 591,523 vaccine doses under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme between now and August.

       “The state will be seeing better days as it has been promised more vaccines. These two months will be critical,” he added.

       He noted that the Federal Government had set 10% of the adult population being vaccinated as a threshold to be achieved before a state could move to Phase Two.

       FMM Penang chairman Datuk Jimmy Ong said the virtual meeting was organised to address concerns faced by the manufacturing sector.

       Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Terengganu and Perlis transition to Phase Two of the NRP today.

       Phase Two will have a slight easing in restrictions in terms of business, sports and social matters.