Cape Verde receives COVID-19 vaccines from China

PRAIA, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Cape Verde on Saturday received 50,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses provided by China.

During the handover ceremony for the vaccines and over 50,000 syringes at the Nelson Mandela International Airport in the capital Praia, Cape Verdean Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva expressed gratitude for China's support, saying his country would fulfill its vaccination plan to vaccinate 70 percent of the population by the end of this year.

"I would like to warmly thank the People's Republic of China for this contribution, for this donation which will allow us to strengthen our vaccination plan," the prime minister said, reiterating his country's commitment to fight against COVID-19.

Chinese Ambassador to Cape Verde Du Xiaocong said the Chinese government will continue to support Cape Verde to combat the pandemic and revive its economy, adding that he is ready to help the island country acquire more vaccines if necessary.

As of Friday, Cape Verde registered 31,512 COVID-19 cases, including 30,231 recoveries and 272 deaths. The country reported its first positive case on March 20, 2020.