In a Week, 17,000 People Take First Dose of COVID-19 Vaccines After They Were Barred from Malls

With the exception of those who are medically ineligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, it’s hard to see why one would turn down the chance to get inoculated with a safe and effective vaccine.

The benefits include:

  1. Protection against illnesses due to  COVID-19
  2. Lower risks of contracting and spreading the virus to others
  3. Asking your significant other to sayang you and bring you tasty food while your arm is sore

But these benefits didn’t seem to appeal to some residents here, which is why the Government has constantly been encouraging more people to get jabbed.

When their ability to shop and eat outside was taken away, though, they flocked to vaccination centres like Goody Feed writers to a bubble tea sale.

17,000 People Take First Dose of COVID-19 Vaccines After They Were Barred from Malls

A whopping 17,000 people received their first COVID-19 dose from 9 Oct to 15 Oct, the week after vaccination-differentiated measures were announced.

According to the Ministry of Health (MOH), 11,000 people received their first dose of the vaccine under the national vaccination programme from 2 Oct to 8 Oct, with 135,000 receiving their booster dose.

The following week, after the announcement was made, around 17,000 people received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine under the national vaccination programme, with 162,000 taking their booster shots.

Interesting.

Speaking to The Straits Timessome first-time vaccine recipients were frank about their reasons for getting immunised, saying they wanted to dine in and travel.

What Can You Do if You’re Fully Vaccinated?

As some of those getting their first dose this week will know, the authorities expanded the vaccination-differentiated measures from 13 Oct.

Unvaccinated individuals are not permitted to enter malls, large standalone stores, attractions, or even dine at hawker centres and coffee shops.

Fully vaccinated individuals can do all these things, of course, but only in groups of two (as of now).

What’s more, if you’re fully vaccinated, you’ll be able to travel under the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL), where you won’t have to quarantine at your holiday destination.

Today (19 Oct), Singapore extended its VTL scheme to eight more countries, namely Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Britain, and the United States.

Along with a VTL with South Korea which will start on 15 Nov, and two existing VTLs with Brunei and Germany, fully vaccinated travellers will have 11 countries to choose from for their next holiday.

Of course, you must have remained in the approved country for 14 consecutive days prior to departure, and must travel on a designated flight.

Under the scheme, a pre-departure and on-arrival test will suffice.

Read Also:

Featured Image: Facebook (Lawrence Wong)