Northern Cyprus completes 1st vaccination drive

By Emel Gozellik

ANKARA (AA) - The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has completed its first immunization program against the pandemic.

In a statement, the country's Health Ministry said the first part of the vaccination program has been administered.

Applications for receiving the vaccine will be evaluated after the second part of the vaccine arrives, the statement added.

Date of the second vaccination program will be announced to the public by the ministry, it also said.

"Vaccines are not over. 20,000 vaccines sent by Turkey are not enough for our people. We can apply 10,000 of them, so if the planned vaccines do not arrive, we have to save the remaining 10,000 for the second dose to be administered 28 days later," the Turkish Agency Cyprus (TAK) reported, citing Health Minister Ali Pilli.

Referring to the rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in the Lapta and Alsancak towns of the coastal city of Girne, Pilli said: "In recent days, there has been a rise in the number of cases in the local areas," according to TAK.

Also, Pilli said the number of tests conducted in the Girne region has increased.

The vaccination program was launched in the TRNC on Jan. 15, and President Ersin Tatar was the first person to receive the jab.

According to Prime Minister Ersan Saner, following health workers, people aged 65 and above are inoculated.

Turkey sent 20,000 doses of China's CoronaVac vaccine to the TRNC last week, while the EU sent over 1,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine to the country, the TAK reported on Monday.