Malaysia Allocates Additional RM4 Bilion To Fight Covid-19

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 (Bernama) -- Under the 2022 Budget announced on Friday, the Malaysian government will be providing an additional RM4 billion (US$965 million) to continue the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said the amount included RM2 billion to fund vaccination programs and the remaining to increase the capacity of public health service facilities. He said when tabling the 2022 Budget in the Dewan Rakyat (Parliament Lower House) today the government also planned to procure antiviral drugs said to be effective against various viruses, including COVID-19, to continue to win in the fight against the pandemic. The National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) would be further strengthened to supply the third dose as a booster dose for adults, as well as to continue with the vaccination for those aged 12 to 17 years. He said the government had signed an agreement to procure 88 million doses, which is equivalent to more than 140 percent of the population and enough to give a third dose to all residents aged 12 years and above. -- BERNAMA