GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government should carry out its own preventve measures and not rely too much on the federal government in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, the State Asembly was told today.

Air Putih Assemblyman Lim Guan Eng said the state government needed to take its own mitigation measures to deal with the pandemic, especially to save more lives.

"I would like to suggest for the state government to carry out its mitigation measures, as the deaths due to COVID-19 in Penang is now worrying," he said when debating the motion of thanks on the speech by the Penang Yang Dipertua Negeri Tan Sri Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak.

Lim said the measures to be taken included to get adequate supply of vaccines so that more Penang residents, especially those at risk, and aged 50 and above, cold be vaccinated.

Priority for the vaccination should also be given to traders and hawkers to expedite efforts to restore the state's economy, he added.

"If the vaccination can be expedited, we may be able to save more lives and I hope the state government, especially the Health Exco, will not delay looking into this matter," he said.

Meanwhile, Joseph Ng Soon Siang (PH-Air Itam) , who intervened, suggested that the COVID-19 vaccine donated by the Selangor government be distributed to all state constituencies to speed up the vaccination process.

Last Tuesday, the Penang government received 20,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine donated by the Selangor government.

-- BERNAMA