Coronavirus: Nepal to restart vaccinations with Chinese shots; Queensland eyes end to snap lockdown
- Ruili city in Yunan province says it will crack down on border crossings after three Myanmar nationals tested positive for Covid-19
- Meanwhile, Australia’s Queensland is hopeful a snap lockdown will end as cases fall, while Nepal is to resume inoculations after receiving Chinese shots
Nepal was set to restart Covid-19 inoculations after receiving a donation of doses from China, resuming a campaign that was put on hold because India slowed vaccine exports.
India and China have sought to use vaccine diplomacy to extend influence around the world during the coronavirus pandemic, particularly among poorer countries seeking cheaper shots.
Nepal began vaccinations in January after receiving 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine from neighbouring India. Another 348,000 from the World Health Organization-backed Covax Facility scheme arrived in March.
But only half of a follow-up order of 2 million shots from India has been delivered so far, and none have been administered since mid-March.
The health ministry on Tuesday said that the drive would resume after 800,000 doses of China’s Sinopharm vaccine arrived on Monday.