In case you can’t tell by recent news, the Covid-19 vaccination exercise in Singapore is picking up speed.
And on 23 Feb 2021, it was revealed that the drive to vaccinate taxi drivers and private-hire drivers have kicked off.
Taxi, Private-Hire Drivers Next in Line for Covid-19 Vaccination Exercise
Over 50,000 drivers are expected to get vaccinated over the coming weeks, Todayonline reported.
Active drivers (both taxi and private-hire) will get the SMS with a link to book their vaccination appointments progressively.
They will be able to get vaccinated at any of the vaccination centres, polyclinics or Public Health Preparedness Clinics (PHPC) operating as vaccination sites.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) encourages drivers to step up and get vaccinated to “strengthen the resilience of Singapore’s essential transport services”.
Private-Hire Firms Offer To Pick Up The Tab
As private-hire and taxi drivers are self-employed persons, they don’t get to earn any income if they are not on the roads.
To encourage drivers to get vaccinated, both Grab and Gojek says they’ll cover any potential loss in income for drivers who fall ill after getting vaccinated.
Tada, another ride-hailing firm in Singapore, says they’ll offer a one-time payment of S$500 for any drivers who are hospitalised due to the vaccine.
Grab added that they’ll use their driver app to educate partner drivers on the importance of getting vaccinated.
Progress of Singapore’s National Vaccination Drive
So far, it’s been almost two months since the first Covid-19 vaccine jab was administered.
Singapore’s leaders, including PM Lee and President Halimah Yacob, has been vaccinated.
The SAF has also started vaccinating its soldiers (NSFs and regulars), and the vaccination drive for the elderly (aged 70 and above) in three other community clubs kicked off successfully just two days ago.
While a 72-year-old elderly landed in the hospital after taking the vaccine due to a heart attack, investigations revealed that his condition was not linked to the vaccine.
The next group in line will be the seniors aged 60 to 69 years old, he added, who will receive their invitation in mid-March.
The vaccination jab is expected to be available to all segments of the population in Singapore “sometime after April”.
Financial Assistance Schemes
For those worried about taking the jab and losing income, the Singapore government has come up with two financial assistance schemes for injuries sustained from taking the vaccine.
There are two tiers of financial support:
- A one-time payment of $10,000 for individuals who are hospitalised in the High Dependency or Intensive Care Unit (ICU), but subsequently recovers
- A one-time payment of $225,000 for an individual who dies or suffers from a permanent injury
Of course, to qualify, a doctor has to prove that your injury is directly linked to the Covid-19 vaccine.
You can read more about the schemes, and other new facts on Singapore’s Covid-19 vaccination drive, here.
Feature Image: Shutterstock.com / joyfull
Would you be jailed for being half-naked in public? Well, the answer will shock you. Seriously. Watch this to the end and you'll understand:
