Coronavirus: President underlines of slow rollout of Covid vaccines at EU summit

President Nicos Anastasiades pointed out the problems the island is faced with because of the slow rollout of Covid vaccines, mainly due to the delays in the production of the pharmaceutical companies with which the EU has signed contracts at a video conference of the EU leaders on Thursday evening.

Referring to the vaccination programme in Cyprus, the President noted that according to the planned strategy by June 50 per cent of the population will have received the jab, while by September 100 per cent of citizens who want an inoculation will have got one.

The President also notified other leaders that the first batch of vaccines was delivered to the Turkish Cypriot community last Monday. He also expressed support to the Greek Prime Minister who proposed the introduction of an EU vaccination certificate, with the aim, as soon as conditions allow, of the gradual lifting of travel restrictions.

The EU leaders agreed that there is a need to step up the inoculations and meet the vaccination targets as soon as possible.

The President, according to a written statement by the Deputy Government Spokesman Panayiotis Sentonas, thanked the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the European Commissioner for Health Stella Kyriakides for their efforts to fully meet the vaccination needs of all Member States.