Coronavirus: Turkey sends 40,000 vaccines to north Cyprus

Turkey on Tuesday sent an additional 40,000 doses of the Chinese Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine to the north, according to reports in the media.

A Turkish health ministry aircraft carrying the jabs landed at Tymbou Airport, where Turkish Cypriot health officials received the shipment.

With the latest delivery, Turkey has provided the north with 140,000 vaccine doses to date.

“We continue our struggle against coronavirus with our people and the support of Turkey,” Ersin Tatar said on Twitter.

“A total of 40,000 more doses of the Sinovac vaccine will arrive tonight. We heartily thank our motherland Turkey.”

The number of Covid-19 cases recorded in the north is over 3,900, including 24 deaths and more than 3,000 recoveries.

Early in April, Turkish Cypriots also received close to 10,000 Covid-19 vaccines through the bicommunal technical committee on health.

The vaccines were handed over at the Ayios Dhometios checkpoint.

Greek Cypriot co-chairman of the committee Leonidas Phylactou said 4,690 Pfizer doses and 4,800 AstraZeneca doses were delivered to the Turkish Cypriot