LABUAN, Jan 12 — The operating hours for the COVID-19 vaccination centre dispensing the booster shots here have been extended until 8 pm during the weekdays, from 5 pm previously, effective Jan 10.

Labuan Health Department director Dr Ismuni Bohari said this was to help speed up the booster vaccination exercise and provide a flexible schedule for working adults.

“We have shifted the vaccination centre from the Membedai Health Clinic to the Darul Kifayah Complex on Dec 29 (last year), owing to the increasing number of people receiving the appointment for the booster jabs.

“After looking at the steady increase in the number (of vaccine recipients), we decided to extend the operating hours during weekdays,” he said to Bernama today.

On Saturdays, the vaccination centre at the Darul Kifayah Complex operates from 8 am to 4 pm.

Commenting further, Dr Ismuni said some 22,936 individuals out of the total 72,000 eligible adults in the duty-free island have received their booster shots as of Jan 11.

He added that the average number of people visiting the vaccination centre was around 800 to 1,000 daily.

Meanwhile, Labuan COVID-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) chairman Rithuan Ismail said the booster vaccination roll-out would be expedited in view of the emergence of the Omicron variant.

“We are urging the people who have received the second dose of the vaccine and completed the six-month interval to visit the vaccination centre for the booster shots,” he said.

Labuan has recorded a fluctuating trend in COVID-19 cases since the first week of this month with a new active cluster of Jalan OKK Awang Besar Saudi, which was triggered by an Umrah pilgrim.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency