As part of its corporate social responsibility towards the local community of Cameron Highlands in Malaysia, Copthorne Cameron Highlands served as a COVID-19 Vaccination Centre on 24 and 26 July.

Providing a conducive venue for vaccination, the hotel hoped to assist Cameron Highlands in speeding up the vaccination process and ensuring that the local community is well protected against COVID-19. It would also help to achieve herd immunity in order for the region, which had been badly affected by the pandemic lockdown, to restart as a tourist destination.

The hotel lobby and porch was used as the vaccination centre, and across the two days, a total of 2,478 doses of Pfizer vaccine were administered, to residents from the neighbouring Tringkap, Kea Farm, Brinchang and Tanah Rata towns. The response from the community were very encouraging, judging by the long queue of people that waited to be registered for vaccination.

Due to its strategic location, vast lobby space, ample parking facility and huge compound to facilitate queueing and processing, the vaccination team from Malaysia’s Ministry of Health were able to achieve a record 1,410 doses administered on 26 July. The vaccination team shared that they were previously only able to administer about 700 doses per day when the exercise was held at a community hall.

Copthorne Cameron Highlands staff provide secondary support during the two days, managing traffic flow, setting up and cleaning the vaccination area, and assisting people with enquiries. The busy atmosphere at the hotel was also a good reprieve from the unprecedented quiet period due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. The hotel team also received positive feedback from the local community on the organisation of this vaccination drive.

As at 26 July, 98% of Copthorne Cameron Highlands staff have received at least one COVID-19 vaccination dose.