The Chinese government has donated another 1.6 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine to Sri Lanka, which will be distributed to people over the age of 30 in the North and East. SriLankan Airlines’ UL-869 and UL-865 aircraft carrying the vaccine arrived at the Colombo Katunayake International Airport at 5.30 am today (27).
Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhen Hong officially handed over the vaccine to President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (27). In addition to these vaccines, a stock of cylinders has also been donated.
The vaccine was handed over to the Ministry of Health. 72% of the vaccines used in the vaccination process in Sri Lanka are Sinopharm.
President Rajapaksa said that he appreciated the support provided by the Chinese Government for the suppression of Covid by donating 600,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine on March 31, 500,000 on May 26 and 1.7 million doses received today.
The President said that by the end of August, all those over the age of 30 would be vaccinated and the tourism industry would be able to start from September. Therefore, the Chinese people are invited to visit Sri Lanka again, the President said.
Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Douglas Devananda, Secretary to the President PB Jayasundera, Chief Adviser to the President Lalith Weeratunga, Foreign Secretary Admiral Jayanath Colombage and Political Officer of the Chinese Embassy Luo Chong were also present.
