KUALA BERANG: A total of 48,288 traders and employees have received their vaccine under the Retail Industry Vaccination (RiVAC) programme nationwide, said Deputy Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Rosol Wahid.

He said of the total, 23,488 of them had received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

"Our target is to get 500,000 employees in the retail and food sector to be vaccinated by end of the year to enable them to open their businesses and restaurants, including for dine-in.

"We understand that based on the number who have been vaccinated, it is slow compared to the target, but the ministry is in discussion with large companies having many employees to carry out the RiVAC programme at their own premises," he added.

He told this to reporters after presenting laptops to outstanding Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) students from Hulu Terengganu here today.

For those in the retail sector or with few employees, he said, they could contact the ministry for guidelines to speed up the vaccination process for their employees.

-- BERNAMA