A consignment of 1.6 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine donated by China arrived in the island this morning (27).
The consignment was flown to the country via two SriLankan Airlines flights. This is the largest consignment of Sinopharm vaccines donated by the Chinese government to Sri Lanka.
The consignment was accepted at the airport by Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, State Minister Channa Jayasumana and senior officials of the Health Ministry.
The donated vaccines were officially handed over to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presdential Secretariat this morning by China's Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhen Hong. A stock of syringes for the vaccines was also donated by China.
The vaccines have been handed over to the Health Ministry for the vaccination of those over the age of 30 in the north and east, the President's Media Division (PMD) stated. It added that 72% of the country's vaccination drive is comprised of the Sinopharm vaccine.
In total, the Chinese government has donated 2.7 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine to Sri Lanka, and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa expressed his gratitude to China the assistance it has given to eradicate COVID-19, the PMD added.
President Rajapaksa also expressed confidence that all persons above 30 years in the country will be vaccinated by the end of August, enabling the country to fully open up to tourists by September. The President invited Chinese tourists to visit the country again from then onwards.
Pix by T.K.G, Kapila
You can share this post!
Content
Kasun, was born in 28th Sept 1964, the grandson of the legendary author and linguist Munidasa Cumaratunga and son of SSP Bindu Kumaratunga and Winifred
The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) backed by the Excise and Customs Department today launched a fresh drive to collect taxes including some Rs.780 billion listed as ‘collectable defaults’.
The Supreme Court today unanimously dismissed a Fundamental Rights petition filed by five convicts in the 1996 Krishanthi Kumaraswamy abduction, rape, and murder case.
A SriLankan airlines flight has been grounded in an airport in Indonesia due to a technical defect leaving 93 passengers stranded, an official said.
Former international spinner Sachithra Senanayake is set to become the first Sri Lankan cricketer indicted under the country’s Prevention of Offences Relating to Sports Act (Act No. 24 of 2019).
Leave Comments