China sent one million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Syria in the present day, Syria’s official information outlet SANA reported.
“The step is a sign of the Chinese language management’s curiosity to reinforce and preserve relations with Syria,” Well being Minister Hassan al-Ghabash instructed reporters.
It was not instantly clear which actual vaccine the Folks’s Republic donated. That is the fourth time China has despatched coronavirus vaccine doses to Syria, in response to SANA.
Syria experienced a bad outbreak of COVID-19 late final yr, exacerbating the delicate healthcare system that has been broken by yr of civil battle. Instances have since decreased, and the nation of 17 million is averaging round 40 new infections per day, in response to information from Reuters. Nevertheless, these numbers are from the Syrian authorities, which does not control your complete nation. Some worldwide observers have additionally reported undercounting of COVID-19 instances in Syria up to now yr.
Solely round 6.5% of the Syrian inhabitants is vaccinated in opposition to the virus, in response to Our World in Information.
China is an ally of Syria. Final month, China’s embassy in Damascus provided a grant to a Syrian nonprofit.
The Syrian Arab Republic has additionally voiced political assist for China just lately on the worldwide stage. Additionally in December, Syria’s Olympic Committee expressed solidarity with China in response to the nation’s dealing with of feminine tennis star Peng Shuai.
China has offered its Sinopharm vaccine to a number of international locations within the Center East, including Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. China’s Pink Cross additionally sent 6 million Sinopharm doses to Iran in October.
