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Sultan of Johor expresses disappointment over state's low COVID-19 vaccination rates

Sultan of Johor expresses disappointment over state's low COVID-19 vaccination rates

People receive the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine on a mobile vaccine truck in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Jun 21, 2021. (Photo: AFP/ Mohd Rasfan)

JOHOR: The Sultan of Johor on Wednesday (Aug 4) expressed disappointment over the state’s low vaccination rate, saying the situation “is now getting worse with the spread of the Delta variant”.

Statistics from the COVID-19 vaccine supply access guarantee special committee showed that 33.3 per cent – or 1.26 million people – in Johor have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of Aug 4.

Just 13.1 per cent, or 495,730 people, have received the second dose.

“I always think of the suffering of my people, especially those who fell ill and have succumbed to COVID-19," Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar said in a Facebook post.

“The situation is now getting worse with the spread of the Delta variant.”

He added that the state “must get as many people as possible vaccinated soonest”.

Sultan Ibrahim also said that he and his son, the Crown Prince of Johor, discussed the matter with certain parties and urged for more vaccines for people in the state. 

He said this was in the hope that herd immunity could be achieved as soon as possible in Johor as well as nationwide, so that people can be safe and protected from COVID-19.

“It is very disappointing when we have to make an appeal to ramp up vaccination for the safety of our own people,” he added. 

Malaysia on Wednesday set a new record for daily COVID-19 cases with 19,819 new infections.

The country's death toll also hit a record 257, surpassing the previous record of 219 from earlier this week.

The Klang Valley accounted for more than half of the new cases, though Johor, Kedah and Kelantan each also reported more than 1,000 new cases.

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Source: Others/ga(zl)

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