South Africa receives first batch of COVID-19 vaccines from India

South African government on Monday received the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines from India.

The move is expected to kick-start a nationwide inoculation exercise in the former apartheid enclave.

Health workers who have been stretched during the outbreak of the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic heaved a sigh of relief when the vaccines arrived from India.

President Cyril Ramaphosa received the consignment including one million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.

READ ALSO: Concerns raised in South Africa over effectiveness of new COVID-19 vaccine

Ramaphosa said he was delighted that the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines had arrived in the country and promised to say more on the matter in a nationwide address scheduled for 1800 GMT.

Reports say another 500,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are expected in the country later this month.

South Africa has recorded the most COVID-19 infections and deaths in Africa with 1.4 million cases and over 44,000 fatalities to date.

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