Filenews 7 April 2021
Cyprus has ordered and is ready to accept vaccines for a population of two million people, the President of the Republic, Nikos Anastasiades, said today during a visit in the morning to the Vaccination Centre at the Site of the State Fair, accompanied by The Minister of Health Konstantinos Ioannou, and other officials.
The President of the Republic said that "Cyprus is considered one of the first countries to successfully implement the vaccination programme, it is one of the first countries to successfully apply the tests of either rapid or molecular examination, it is the second in reduced number of deaths".
He expressed the hope that Cyprus' vaccination programme would continue smoothly, so that by mid-May people over the age of 45 would be vaccinated, with the hope, he said, that in June we would be able to open up the economy completely.
It also stressed the need for patience and discipline in complying with health measures.
For vaccine deniers
Asked to comment on the attitude of so-called deniers, the president said that "what I want to ask everyone is to understand something. Their opinion or opposition is fully respected, as must be the right to life of our fellow human beings. Embolism, not the vaccine, protects and saves lives. Many of the naysayers have been offended and have passed the test and today they repent of their attitude. Let everyone think about this, let them visit some hospitals or some of the friends who were affected, to understand the dangers, the anguish they themselves had suffered."
About the problems at the Vaccination Portal
Asked about the problems with the Vaccination Portal, the President said that "I hope that later today it will be corrected. Technical problems will be observed in electronic systems, we are trying to address them and they will be addressed in order to continue the vaccination programme seamlessly."
Supply of new vaccines
Asked about the supply of vaccines, the President said that "we have already authorised the Minister of Health to negotiate the procurement when and if other vaccines such as Sputnik are approved, but for which we are awaiting approval from the European Medicines Agency.
In addition, there are the important orders we have placed for other pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson and Johnson.
There are seven in total pharmaceutical companies with which the EU has contracted and we have participated with a significant proportion of vaccines, just to mention that we have ordered and are ready to accept vaccines for a population of two million."
Asked when these vaccines would be received, the President said "depending on the production of the factories, it is not a matter for the Government which took the measures in a timely manner. The Ministry of Health gave instructions, numbers and everything it needed to achieve as many vaccines as possible.
In addition, there is a default by pharmaceutical companies that is likely to inhibit or raise some concern about the vaccination programme.
Asked what happened to the issue of vaccines requested from Israel, the President said there are "procedural problems that create problems, but we are continuing efforts.
At the moment the Government is being developed in Israel, there are equally significant problems in the country and therefore it was the legal procedures that hindered the process of implementing the common will with Mr Netanyahu to supply us with a number of vaccines."
Asked if he has discussed with epidemiologists a possible lockdown. the President said that "we have not discussed and are not currently considering anything similar on the basis of the epidemiological picture of the country".
Source: eyenews/CYPE
