Health Minister: COVID-19 vaccine will be received before July 20

Health Minister Ahmed Naseem has stated that the Maldives will receive an adequate supply of vaccines against COVID-19 next month. 

In a press conference underway at the President's Office currently, Health Minister Ahmed Naseem said that an exact date for the vaccine shipment was unclear but it was estimated that the vaccine would be received sometime between July 12-20. 

"The information shows that the vaccine will be received between July 12 or 20. Will get the Astrazeneca vaccine," said Minister Naseem. 

The Maldives has an agreement with Astrazeneca of Singapore to procure 700,000 doses of the vaccine. It was previously estimated that the vaccine will be received in June. 

However, the scheduled date was pushed back by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in a press conference held earlier this month to July. 

The vaccine is to be procured in three separate phases.