DPM: Malaysia can move to second NRP phase next month

Trim in time: Barber Mohd Amirul Shahruzzaman cutting a customer’s hair at his salon in Gambier Street, Kuching. Salons were allowed to reopen for haircuts as Sarawak entered Phase Two of the National Recovery Plan. — ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/The Star

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia will be able to move to the second phase of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) by early August if the country continues to see positive progress in its vaccination rate, says Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

This is one of the three thresholds required for progress to Phase Two of the NRP.

He said more than 10% of the population had already been fully inoculated under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.

“These developments show the country is on the right track to achieving herd immunity.

“This indicator is in line with the planning of the NRP which expects the vaccination rate to reach 10% of the population at the end of July.

“If these positive developments continue, the whole country will be able to move to Phase Two in early August, as what has been achieved for Perlis, Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Penang, Sabah and Sarawak after surpassing the three threshold indicators under the NRP, ” he said in a statement yesterday.

Malaysia will reopen in four phases based on three main indicators: the number of daily Covid-19 cases, the number of people who are fully vaccinated and the improved state of the healthcare system.

States such as Selangor and Kuala Lumpur are still experiencing a high number of Covid-19 cases and massive pressure on their healthcare systems.

Ismail Sabri said 68 premises were ordered to close by the task force monitoring standard operating procedure compliance on July 13. Of the 68 premises, 23 were factories, 43 were business premises and two were construction sites. Cumulatively, the task force carried out 80, 827 checks and spot checks nationwide, involving 20, 005 enforcement personnel.

He said five localities in Sabah and Sarawak would be placed under the enhanced movement control order for 14 days from July 16 to July 29.

The localities are Kampung Jagoi Duyoh in Kuching, Sarawak, while those in Sabah are Kampung Lubak in Beaufort, three blocks of the Projek Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) Taman Mesra in Sandakan, Blok Angsana and Blok Sumboi-Sumboi of Kampung Seberang Benoni in Papar, as well as Kampung Melalam in Sipitang.