Staff Reporter

Zimbabwe’s all-weather friend, China yesterday donated 100 000 doses of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines to the Zimbabwe Defence Forces which is expected to benefit members of the ZDF and their dependents.

Posting on his Twitter handle, the Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Guo Shaochun said, “Today I am honoured to handover Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines donated by the People’s Liberation Army of China to the Zimbabwean Defence Forces. This is the third of its kind between two countries during recent three months. Let’s continue to work hand in hand and in unity we are invincible.”

In February 2021, Zimbabwe received its first 200 000 coronavirus vaccines from the Chinese Government, a demonstration of long bond of friendship and solidarity.

This marked the first phase of Zimbabwe’s vaccination programme which started on February 18, 2021.

In March 2021, the country received a second batch of Sinopharm doses from China again, plus an additional Sinovac doses commercially procured by the Government of Zimbabwe.

The continued assistance from China has indeed lightened Zimbabwe’s burden in these difficult times of the pandemic.

Statistics from the Ministry of Health and Child Care shows that as at 17 May 2021, Zimbabwe had 38 572 confirmed cases, including 36 349 recoveries and 1 582 deaths. To date, a total of 591 808 people have been vaccinated against COVID-19 in Zimbabwe.