Congo receives first batch of Chinese COVID-19 vaccine

This photo taken on March 10, 2021 shows Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines are to be loaded onto a plane to the Republic of Congo. (Photo/Xu Xiaodong)

BRAZZAVILLE, March 11 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of COVID-19 vaccine donated by the Chinese government arrived Wednesday in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo, ahead of the vaccination expected on the eve of the scheduled presidential election on March 21.

Congolese Minister of Health Jacqueline Lydia Mikolo, who was accompanied by two other ministers and Chinese Ambassador Ma Fulin at the airport to welcome the cargo, said this is the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines received by her country.

"The vaccination will start in the following days. We are ready to vaccinate. The vaccination sites are known, " said the health minister.

According to the Ministry of Health, priority of the vaccination will be given to health personnel, the press, the police, people with diabetes or hypertension, as well as those who are over 50 years old.

According to Chinese Ambassador Ma Fulin, who gave an interview to the media at the airport, the aid this time showed that China has kept its promises at the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against COVID-19.

"Sino-Congolese friendship and that between China and Africa will be deeper and firmer after the test of the COVID-19. Like the Congo, many African countries have received or are about to receive Chinese vaccines. China is ready to work with African developing countries to fight side by side against the pandemic," said the Chinese ambassador.

The Congolese government had announced that the country was to launch the vaccination campaign before the start of the March 21 poll, urging its people to continue to strictly adhere to the COVID-19 health and safety protocols during and after the vote.