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Kandy gets first public jabs outside Western Province

23 May 2021

  • Gampaha, Koggala FTZ workers considered for priority

By Pamodi Waravita   The first public vaccination drive outside of the Western Province will begin this week in the Kandy District with the administration of the next batch of the Sputnik-V vaccine, which is scheduled to arrive in the country tomorrow (25), Ministry of Health officials told The Morning yesterday (23). Speaking to the media, Cabinet Spokesperson Keheliya Rambukwella said that Kundasale, Meda-Dumbara, Pahatha-Dumbara, Gangawata Korala, and the Kandy city limits would be prioritized as the Covid-19 spread is highest within the district in these areas. A consignment of 185,000 doses of the Sputnik-V vaccine is expected in the country tomorrow. Meanwhile, Ministry of Health officials also told The Morning that workers in the country’s Free Trade Zones (FTZs) in Gampaha and Koggala are also being considered for priority, following repeated requests by the Board of Investments (BOI) and other stakeholders to prioritise them. Reports from around the country show that FTZ workers are contracting the virus at an alarming rate, especially considering the closed and packed working conditions they endure. The State Pharmaceutical Corporation of Sri Lanka (SPC) Chairman Dr. Prasanna Gunasena told the media last week that Sri Lanka has secured 32 million vaccines in total, which is 3 million more than the total amount required to inoculate the population above 20 years old. Dr. Gunasena further said that 14 million doses from the Sinopharm vaccine, 13 million doses from the Sputnik-V vaccine, and 5 million doses from the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine have been secured so far. Ministry of Health Communications Director Dr. Hemantha Herath confirmed that the necessary cold storage facilities and infrastructure for the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine are available in the country. Although Sri Lanka has administered 925,240 vaccines of the first dosage of the AstraZeneca (Covishield) vaccine and 297,686 doses of its second dosage, the country is yet to confirm the procurement of enough doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to administer the remaining second dosages. Ministry of Health Deputy Director General of Health Services Dr. S.M. Arnold told the media last week that discussions are underway with a number of countries regarding the matter. The Sunday Morning reported last week that discussions are ongoing with both the UK and the US in this regard. The Ministry of Health Epidemiology Unit’s Covid-19 Daily Situation Report shows that as of yesterday morning, 511,905 first doses and 2,435 second doses of the Sinopharm vaccine and 14,984 first doses of the Sputnik-V vaccine have been administered.  The National Operation Centre for the Prevention of Covid-19 (NOCPCO) Task Force’s statement as of last evening recorded 2,254 new Covid-19 cases.

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