KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 31 — The Selangor state government has contributed 20,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses to Penang for free to help accelerate the state’s vaccination programme amid supply problems.
Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari previously announced that the state would loan half a million doses of its own procured supply of Sinovac vaccines from its state vaccination programme Selvax to assist other states.
“This is a sign of solidarity between residents of Selangor and residents of Penang in the fight against Covid-19,” Amirudin and Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said in a joint statement today.
As of yesterday, official statistics show that about 92 per cent of the Klang Valley’s adult population have been double-jabbed, compared to 56 per cent in Penang.
Perak Menteri Besar Saarani Mohamad reportedly said yesterday at the state legislative assembly sitting that his administration has requested to borrow coronavirus vaccines from Selangor and that the Perak state government would return its vaccine loan to Selangor after receiving federal supply.
Perak has fully inoculated about 48 per cent of its adult population to date, the fifth bottom-ranking state in terms of vaccine coverage.
Amirudin’s office told the press when asked about Perak’s request that the Selangor state government would make a decision in due course “after updating the vaccines the state has on hand”.
Perak and Penang are among several states outside the Klang Valley facing a surge of coronavirus infections and deaths.
