Maldives Completes COVID-19 Vaccinations for 100,000 People... 19% of Total Population

A view of Male, the capital of the Maldives. / Photo by Asia Economy

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] The island nation of Maldives in the Indian Ocean, renowned as a resort destination, has completed the first dose of COVID-19 vaccinations for 100,000 people just one month after starting the vaccination campaign.

According to local media on the 28th, the Maldives Ministry of Health tweeted the previous day, "More than 100,000 citizens have completed the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine," and expressed gratitude to all healthcare workers and volunteers. With a population of approximately 557,000, the vaccination rate in Maldives stands at around 19%.

Maldives began vaccinations on the 1st of this month using AstraZeneca vaccines received free of charge from India. Maldives has secured 1.1 million doses of the vaccine and plans to provide free vaccinations not only to all citizens but also to illegal residents.

According to Johns Hopkins University and others, the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in Maldives is 19,597, with 61 deaths.