HARARE, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe on Thursday received a batch of Sinovac vaccine doses purchased from China, its largest single COVID-19 vaccine order so far.
The arrival of the vaccines comes at a time when the country is battling the third wave of the pandemic, prompting authorities to introduce new restrictive measures to curtail the further spread of the virus.
A resurgence in COVID-19 cases has increased demand for the vaccine, and vaccination centers across the country have been overwhelmed by people seeking their first jabs.
Zimbabwe registered 2,264 new cases of COVID-19 infection and 34 deaths Wednesday, the worst day so far in terms of the virus infection.
The country has recorded 60,227 positive cases and 1,973 deaths so far.
A total of 819,058 people have been vaccinated, according to a daily update by the health authorities.
Addressing the media after receiving the consignment at Harare's R.G. Mugabe International Airport, Zimbabwe's Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care John Mangwiro said the latest delivery will accelerate the country's inoculation program.
He said the uptake of vaccines across the country increased significantly following the arrival of a batch of Sinopharm vaccines from China last week.
Speaking at the same occasion, Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube said the country is expecting to procure more vaccines by the end of July.
"So we are determined to go on to this blitz program to make sure that Zimbabweans who need to be vaccinated are indeed vaccinated and we can open the economy safely," he said.
Ncube said the government is aiming to inoculate 60 percent of the country's total population to achieve herd immunity by the end of the year, with a budget of 100 million U.S. dollars having been set aside for the accumulation of vaccines and about 40 million dollars having been spent on the procurement of vaccines. Enditem
A single purchase
