Turkey sends vaccines to N.Cyprus to help fight virus

LEFKOSA, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

Turkey will send COVID-19 vaccines to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), the Turkish Cypriot health minister said.

According to Turkish News Agency-Cyprus, TRNC's Health Minister Ali Pilli said that they will receive a portion of coronavirus vaccines from the European Union and some from Turkey.

"Vaccines will arrive in Turkey soon. After arriving there [in Turkey], examinations and controls of the vaccines will be made, and vaccination will start and some vaccines will be sent to us. Vaccines are expected to arrive in the next 10 days," he added.

He said that a batch of coronavirus vaccines arrived from the EU to the Greek Cypriot administration and they have started vaccination.

He added that the bicommunal technical committee on health said a portion of the second batch of vaccines will be given to TRNC.

"Today there is a meeting of the committee, some things will become clearer," he added.

Since first being detected in Wuhan, China in December last year, the pandemic has claimed over 1.76 million lives in 191 countries and regions, according to US-based Johns Hopkins University.

The number of confirmed infections worldwide exceeds 80.8 million while recoveries top 45.7 million.

* Writing by Seda Sevencan