Zimbabwean president thanks China for additional donation of 10 mln COVID-19 vaccines

HARARE -- Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Wednesday thanked the Chinese government for its donation of an additional 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the country.

Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe would receive 6 million Sinovac and 4 million Sinopharm vaccines, which would help ease the country's health challenges.

"I take this opportunity to inform the nation ... of China's magnanimous decision to donate 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Zimbabwe," he said in an address to the nation aired by state broadcaster ZBC.

The donation is in addition to the 2 million doses the country has received from China since February 2021.

"Government applauds China's strong support and commitment to ensuring the availability of affordable and effective vaccines not only to our country Zimbabwe and the African continent but the entire global community," he said.

"This is highly commendable and represents compassionate leadership, absolute regard for human life, dignity and safety as well as exemplary global solidarity in the face of the unprecedented health challenge of our time brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

The country is pushing for more people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and as of Tuesday, 3,197,072 people had received the complete set of two doses; 4,176,397 their first doses and 15,185 had received the booster doses.

The country had recorded 223,765 COVID-19 cases, 5,201 deaths and 199,960 recoveries as of Tuesday.