Early Tuesday morning, March 2, a Conviasa state plane loaded with 300 tons of humanitarian aid sent from the People’s Republic of China landed in Venezuela. The shipment included 500,000 doses of one of the five vaccines that this nation developed against COVID-19.
Venezuelan Executive Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was in charge of receiving the solidarity shipment, the eleventh plane that arrived from Beijing as part of the airlift enabled in March 2020.
President Nicolás Maduro thanked China through social media networks, where the news immediately began trending.
“With great joy I announce that at this moment 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines are arriving in Venezuela, from the People’s Republic of China. Wonderful news that fills us with great hope. Soon we will begin the mass vaccination of our people.”
Con gran alegría informo que en este instante están llegando a Venezuela 500 Mil dosis de vacunas contra el Covid-19, provenientes de la República Popular China. Una maravillosa noticia que nos llena de mucha esperanza. Pronto iniciaremos la vacunación masiva de nuestro pueblo. pic.twitter.com/4FmWEl8eJ2
— Nicolás Maduro (@NicolasMaduro) March 2, 2021
Maduro also saluted his Chinese counterpart for decisively and bravely supporting Venezuela in dire circumstances.
“On behalf of the People of Venezuela, I thank our brother President Xi Jinping and the noble Chinese people for their unwavering spirit of cooperation and solidarity towards our beloved Homeland. The Chinese vaccine will reinforce the immunization process that we started in the country.”
En nombre del Pueblo de Venezuela, agradezco a nuestro hermano Presidente Xi Jinping y al noble pueblo chino, por su inquebrantable espíritu de cooperación y solidaridad hacia nuestra amada Patria. La Vacuna China reforzará el proceso de inmunización que iniciamos en el país. pic.twitter.com/jvV3514BRc
— Nicolás Maduro (@NicolasMaduro) March 2, 2021
Secure vaccination
This vaccine joins the Russian Sputnik V vaccines that arrived in the country on February 15. On February 18, Venezuela began the application of 100,000 doses of Sputnik V.
“This vaccine will help Venezuela in the vaccination plan already started, and will strengthen our fight against the coronavirus,” said Rodríguez from La Guaira state.
Rodríguez also assured that the refrigeration required was “between two and eight degrees Celsius, facilitating its distribution” because it’s similar to the conditions needed for Venezuelan vaccines against other diseases.
The Sputnik V requires a freezing of -18°, necessitating the installation of a rigorous cold chain to preserve them before use.
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“On behalf of President Maduro, I want to thank President Xi Jinping, his Government and the Chinese people for this important donation of 500,000 doses of vaccines that are added to Venezuela’s vaccination plan,” said the vice president, joined by the ambassador of the Asian giant to Venezuela, Li Baorong.
On this eleventh flight of humanitarian aid, donations from Chinese companies allied to Venezuela also arrived.
“We also received 300 tons of donations including supplies, medicines, suits, and masks, from Chinese companies allied to the people and the country,” said Rodríguez. “We appreciate this noble humanitarian gesture.”
#EnFotos 📸 | Llegan a Venezuela primer lote de vacunas chinas para la lucha contra el #Covid_19, a fin de continuar el proceso de inmunización masiva de la población. pic.twitter.com/ifxwL29dUF
— REDRADIOVE (@RedRadioVe) March 2, 2021
Health and safety personnel prioritized
To increase progressive immunization, the Government will include security and education personnel among the first to be vaccinated with this Chinese technological achievement.
In a strategic manner, teachers, professors, and security officials will be vaccinated before the start of in-person classes.
https://twitter.com/Mision_Verdad/status/1366695183216173057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1366695183216173057%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fredradiove.com%2Fllegan-mas-vacunas-venezuela-recibe-500-mil-dosis-de-la-vacuna-china-sinopharm%2F
“Teachers and security personnel have also been incorporated into the vaccination plan,” announced the Head of State. Face-to-face classes with biosafety measures in place to prevent the spread of the pandemic are slated to begin in April.
Confronted with military, political, and economic aggression that has intensified precisely at the time of the pandemic, Venezuela has heroically resisted.
“We’re thankful for this cooperation that allows Venezuela, faced with the worst imperial blockade and attack, to protect the health and lives of the Venezuelan people,” added Rodríguez.
Featured image: Chinese COVID-19 vaccines being unloaded in Venezuela. Photo courtesy of @DrodriguezVen.
(RedRadioVE) by Barry Cartaya
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SL
