Covid-19: 20 venue operators participate as vaccination centres

KUALA LUMPUR (July 23): A total of 20 venue operators have participated in the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme by offering their facilities as vaccine delivery centres (PPV), said the Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (Maceos).

“The exhibition and convention centres which have been made into mega PPV centres are able to dispense close to 125,000 vaccine doses daily. This is about 30% of the average of 400,000 vaccine doses daily,” said Maceos president Francis Teo in a media statement.

He added that with herd immunity being a cornerstone of economic recovery during this pandemic, business events industry players are pouring in multi-channel support for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme to facilitate the speedy reopening of the country’s economy and jumpstart the business events industry.

Besides taking on roles as PPV centres, a total of 150 business events practitioners had volunteered their time as business events (BE) stewards to ensure the smooth-running of the vaccination programmes at various PPVs. 

Under the joint-initiative programme of Maceos and Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), volunteers took on non-clinical tasks at the PPVs to manage the crowd, ensure physical distancing, record temperatures, and monitor registrations.

Maceos also collaborated with the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) and the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) to establish Travel Safe Alliance Malaysia (TSAM), an industry-wide safety certification programme. 

Under the programme, appropriate health and safety procedures and processes in line with globally-recognised best practices are mandated to support a safe travel and business environment during and after the COVID-19 pandemic period, said the statement.

“The SafeBE Certification Programme is one of the certification programmes of TSAM apart from the MATTA’s Travel Safe Certification Programme and MAH’s Clean & Safe Malaysia Certification Programme. Together, they form a strong foundational assurance for potential international visitors that Malaysia has a comprehensive and well-drawn protocol when it comes to health and safety.

“With this framework in place, Malaysia will be able to position itself as a safe destination for international business. It will be easier for Malaysia to gain the trust and confidence of international clients and investors,” added Teo.

He noted that this is crucial with Langkawi recently being selected as the pilot project in the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture's tourism recovery plan known as Covid-19 Free Destination Programme. 

“With mass vaccinations there, Langkawi may be able to reopen in a matter of months. TSAM would be a key part of the tourism industry's preparedness and reopening success,” he said.

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