Muhyiddin: Country still on track for herd immunity by end October if next govt continues momentum

PETALING JAYA: Herd immunity by the end of October is still achievable if the mass Covid-19 immunisation programme runs uninterrupted, says caretaker Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

He also urged his successor to ensure that the momentum continues.

As the nation searches for a new leader and Cabinet following his resignation on Monday (Aug 16), ending Perikatan Nasional's 18-month term, Muhyiddin said Malaysians need not worry as his Cabinet had ordered over 87 million doses at a cost of RM4.36bil.

"To all my fellow Malaysians, my Cabinet has ordered more than enough vaccines for all of you.

"If the vaccination programme goes well, all of you will get vaccinated by the end of October," he said in a live televised address at 3pm, hours after tendering his resignation to the King at Istana Negara.

Muhyiddin said he hoped that the next administration could be formed immediately, adding that the next two months would be crucial for Malaysia's plans to emerge from the pandemic.

He said all the plans outlined in the National Recovery Plan (NRP) must continue and that certain sectors needed to be reopened to ensure that the country's economy recovers quickly and the people are able to generate income.

"Thus, the vaccination programme's momentum should not be disrupted.

"Our record of the number of daily vaccinations being among the highest in the world must be maintained.

"I am optimistic that our country will be able to get out of this pandemic in the near future," he said.

Muhyiddin noted positive developments at several hospitals in the Klang Valley where the number of Covid-19 patients in Categories Four and Five were declining.

"Hopefully, with increasing vaccinations, more lives can be saved and all of us can return to normal life," he said.