And going back inside the house meeting, Minister of Health and Wellness Michel Chebat discussed the roadmap for the rollout of COVID 19 vaccines a the end of the first quarter:
Hon. Michel Chebat, Minister of Health & Wellness
"The COVAX facility has advised us of the intended delivery of a hundred thousand, eight hundred doses of the Astra Zeneca vaccine by the end of the first quarter of this year. This indicative distribution, Madam Speaker, is based on the estimated availability of vaccines from the manufacturers. Apart from the COVAX facility, Madam Speaker, the CARICOM Secretariat has advised us of the opportunity to procure eighty-one thousand, six hundred and ninety-seven doses of vaccines through the African Medical Supplies platform. This is an opportunity offered to CARICOM member states and we have expressed our interest to CARICOM through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Madame Speaker, as well, I am pleased to report that today through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we have indicated to the Russian Federal Republic our acceptance of a donation of twenty thousand dose of the Sputnik 5 vaccine. The priority groups to be vaccinated are healthcare workers from public and private health sector, followed by the elderly population and the population with risk factors. The complete detail of the vaccination roadmap will be shared and publicize for the common good. Notwithstanding the progress we are making the ministry of health and wellness shall be using this time that we have in the lowering of numbers to prepare our medical institutions to confront a third wave."
