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  by pltm
• Mar 05, 2021
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(PLTM) - Residents in the British Virgin Islands will soon have more options to have their vaccines administered, Minister for Health and Social Development Hon. Carvin Malone has informed.

He said the Hon. Andrew Fahie administration plans on bringing private health care providers on board.

“When we receive the new batches of vaccination, which was originally due on 3rd March but now confirmed to arrive on 17th March, we will bring the private sector on board through a Memorandum of Understanding,” he explained last night, March 4, 2021, during a live broadcast.

Hon. Malone added, “The Memorandum of Understanding will be executed with qualified private health care providers and require them to conduct vaccinations at no administrative or product costs to persons or the National Health Insurance programme.”

He said, as far as possible, they will accommodate everyone who wants to be inoculated while adhering to the established roll-out rules.

The UK has pledged to ship out 12,000 doses of the vaccine by March 17 and another 12,000 on March 31st. At the same time, plans are being finalised with COVAX for the delivery of 12,000 units of AstraZeneca based on prior mentioned contractual arrangements with the territory.

Hon. Malone informed that as of March 3rd, some 4,474 persons have received their first dose of the vaccine. This includes 3,625 persons on Tortola, 703 on Virgin Gorda, 71 on Anegada and 75 on Jost van Dyke.

“As more and more of us get vaccinated here in the Virgin Islands and the wider global community, we can begin to look at how this will impact our entry requirements and begin to reopen our borders and our economy and further restore our lives and livelihoods,” he pointed out.

The Minister added, “While there are those who are apprehensive about taking any vaccine, let me admonish and encourage you to take this step with me, and get vaccinated! It is one of the best things we can do for ourselves, our families and humanity, but, most importantly, for the BVI We Love!”

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