KOTA KINABALU, Aug 28 — All parties, including opposition leaders, are urged to play their part in helping the state government curb the Covid-19 pandemic, Sabah Community Development and People’s Well-being Minister Shahelmey Yahya said.

He said opposition leaders should work together with the state government, especially in ensuring the success of the immunisation programme to protect Sabahans from Covid-19.

"The state government is trying its best, along with the Sabah Health Department and the Health Ministry to provide the best services for the safety and well-being of the people.

"Therefore, it is better for the opposition to assist and provide suggestions to improve everything that has been implemented for the benefit of the people in the state,” he said in a statement today.

He was commenting on claims by opposition leaders, including Parti Warisan Sabah president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, who said that the state government should be responsible for the rising number of Covid-19 infections, besides criticising the government for its shortcomings.

Shahelmy said the state government was confident that it was on track to achieve herd immunity by the end of October with the arrival of the single-dose CanSino vaccines.

It is estimated that by early September, 60 per cent of the state’s adult population would have received their first dose and by the end of the month, over 60 per cent of them would be fully vaccinated. — Bernama