COVID-19 vaccines were administered to 183,278 persons on Tuesday, raising the number of persons to receive the first dose of a vaccine to 13,906,987 and the number of persons to receive the second dose of a vaccine to 11,203,890.

According to the Epidemiology Unit, 95.6% of the country’s population over the age of 30 have received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. In the 20 to 29 age group, 38.6% have received the first dose of a vaccine, and 12.5% have received the second dose as well.

With vaccination of children commencing this week, priority will be given to reopening schools, Cabinet Spokesperson Dullas Alahapperuma said yesterday. “The Government has already taken a decision that vaccination of children with disabilities will commence this week. In addition to this, and the Education Minister announced this [on Tuesday], the vaccination program for children between ages 15 and 19, especially targeting O/L and A/L students, will also commence,” he said at the special press briefing held to announce decisions made by the Cabinet the previous day. Alahapperuma went on to say that the situation in the country is improving, with a decline in the number of daily COVID-19 detections as well as fatalities.

On Tuesday, 100,590 persons received the first dose of Sinopharm and 36,854 persons received the second dose of Sinopharm. In total, the first dose of the vaccine has been administered to 11,060,200 persons and the second dose has been administered to 9,070,340 persons.

The first dose of AstraZeneca has been administered to 1,449,122 persons, of which 1,082,816 persons have received the second dose as well. This includes persons vaccinated on Tuesday, when 945 persons received the first dose of AstraZeneca and 38,312 persons received the second dose. The first dose of Moderna was administered to 1,295 persons on Tuesday and the second dose to 50 persons. 

The first dose of Moderna has been administered to a total of 784,254 persons and the second dose to 759,068 persons. The Epidemiology Unit states that 868 persons received the first dose of Pfizer on Tuesday and 144 persons received the second dose of Pfizer. In total, the first dose of Pfizer has been administered to 454,322 persons, of which 243,993 persons have received the second dose as well. The first dose of Sputnik V has been administered to 159,089 persons and the second dose has been administered to 47,673 persons. This includes 4,220 persons who received the second dose of Sputnik V on Tuesday.

1,342 persons test positive for COVID-19

92 COVID-19 fatalities raise death toll to 12,376