Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit and his cabinet colleagues formally received the vaccines from Douglas–Charles Airport, Dominica.
Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit thanked India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Caribbean nation received a shipment of 35,000 Covishield vaccines sent from India. Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) manufactures Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine Covishield.
On Tuesday, the vaccines were delivered to Douglas–Charles Airport in Air National Guard’s plane. PM Skerrit and his cabinet colleagues formally received the vaccines and also helped in unloading some of the boxes.
During a formal ceremony at the airport, Skerrit said: “One would have thought and understood that in a global pandemic such as this, a nation’s size and might would have been the primary considerations. But it is to the credit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that our request was considered on merit and the equality of our people was recognized.”
Indian newspaper Hindustan Times reported that in a letter to Modi, Skerrit wrote: “In 2020, like many nations across the globe, we were dealt an extraordinary blow by the Covid-19 crisis. However, your vaccines will allow us to move forward with renewed hope and optimism, and to reignite the many projects that Covid-19 pandemic has negatively impacted.” He also wrote that he will not forget this help and because of India’s kindness, 35,000 Dominicans will be vaccinated by April.
Skerrit requested the vaccines on January 19 and hadn’t hoped to receive them so soon. He tweeted: “Even though I trust every word of the bible, I must confess that I did not imagine that the prayers of my country would have been answered so swiftly. Thank You India. @narendramodi”
So far, India has gifted Covid-19 vaccine doses to its neighboring countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Seychelles, and Mauritius. It has also carried out commercial exports to Brazil and Morocco.
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