DILI, 21 june 2021 (TATOLI) – The Ministry of Health realizes an Outreach Vaccination Pilot Program in the Atauro Island to mobilize around 7.000 people of Atauro Island to get vaccinated within two days,” Minister of Health, Odete Maria Freitas Belo made the comments after the meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for the Covid-19 Immunization, at MSSI hall, in Dili, today.
“Today, we are implementing the Outreach Vaccination Pilot Program in Atauro Island. This is to see whether we can cover up to 7.000 people of Atauro Island to be vaccinated within two days. Based on all resources that we have, including human resources and materials, we try to go there to realize our goal of vaccinating up to 7.000 people in two days. Let’s see whether we will reach this goal or not,” Belo said.
Belo said if the Outreach Vaccination Pilot Program in Atauro was successful, then the same pilot would be implemented in other municipalities as well.
“If this Outreach Vaccination Pilot Program is successful, then we need to review our vaccination plan to better improve the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination across the country,” Belo said.
Regarding the COVID-19 vaccination in capital Dili and other municipalities, Belo said MoF would cooperate with the local leaders in order to provide reliable information on the COVID-19 vaccines to convince the rural communities to get vaccinated.
Belo said the Ministry of Health, so far had administered 48.8 percent of the 294.800 COVID-19 doses that had been distributed to Timor-Leste.
Belo added Timor-Leste had spent US$16 million for the purchase of the COVID-19 vaccines, saying the budget including the operational budget as well.
As of sunday (20/06), there has been a total of 8.707 lab-confirmed cases of the virus in Timor-Leste, with 7.629 recoveries, active cases were 1.059 and 19 deaths, according to data of the CIGC.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Rafy Belo
