ALOR STAR: Eighty per cent of Langkawi residents need to be vaccinated against Covid-19 before travel bubble can be implemented on the island following the reopening of national and state borders.
Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said to achieve this, the state government was working with the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry and the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry to ensure that about 61,000 Langkawi residents received at least one dose of the vaccine.
"We coordinated with the district Disaster Operations Control Centre (PKOB) which is run by district officers to provide vaccination centres (PPV) and speed up the vaccination process.
"After reaching the vaccination (rate) in Langkawi, people (tourists) who have completed two doses of the vaccine can start coming for holidays in Langkawi, Insya-Allah starting this September," he said during a press conference after chairing the state executive council meeting via Zoom today.
He said Qatar Airways had already expressed its readiness to implement a travel bubble with Langkawi, by operating seven flights a week, from 121 international destinations to the resort island.
"Yesterday, they (Qatar Airways) met with the Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) to announce their commitment and we hope this travel bubble can be implemented once the vaccination programme in Langkawi has been completed," he said.
Sanusi said the revival of the tourism sector in Langkawi needed to be given attention as its rivals Krabi and Phuket in Thailand are also expected to open soon.
Meanwhile, he said all PPVs in Kedah have the capacity to administer 80,000 vaccine shots a week. – BERNAMA