Teleconferences will be held again between the two bi-communal technical committees on health to make final arrangements for the transfer of vaccines from south to North Cyprus.
Member of the Greek Cypriot diplomatic bureau Pandelis Pandelidis, stated that the number of vaccination doses required and details of the vaccination plan for northern Cyprus were requested last week, and that the co-chairs of the bi-communal health technical committee were contacted last Tuesday with the participation of members of epidemiology groups from both communities.
Around 200,000 vaccines have been requested by the Turkish Cypriots. Greek Cypriot daily ‘Haravgi’ stated that a draft was presented at the meeting regarding the vaccination plan. However, Pandelidis said that the lack of readiness of the Turkish Cypriot plan poses some difficulties, adding that there are some technical details that need to be resolved such as the transport of vaccines to the north.
Asked whether the first vaccine supplies to arrive in south Cyprus also will be shared with the Turkish Cypriots, Pandelidis stated that the first batch would be a very small, but nevertheless the intention was to give them to chronically ill patients.
Explanations and recommendations regarding the features of the vaccines in question had been given to the Turkish Cypriots, Pandelidis said. He added that an expert technician from the Pfizer company is at the service of the Turkish Cypriots to provide further assistance when they are ready.
Earlier this month it was reported that North Cyprus has very little in the way of adequate freezer storage to keep the vaccines which require temperatures of minus 70 degrees C. Only today was it reported that the government opened a tender for the purchase of two deep freeze units to store the vaccines.
Haravgi, Yeniduzen