More than 59.43 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 1 403 065 have died, according to a Reuters tally.
President Ivan Duque and the first lady have regular coronavirus tests due to their high levels of exposure and busy schedules, the president's office said in a statement. The country will acquire more than 16 million doses of the vaccine through the European Union which has signed six contracts for supplies, according to Clemens Martin Auer, who coordinates the health ministry's pandemic response."Our goal is to vaccinate at least 50 percent of the population," he told a news conference, adding that the campaign would cost around 200 million euros .
The number of new deaths also remains high at 118.Under restrictions imposed in early November, restaurants and bars, hotels, sports and entertainment venues and all cultural institutions were shut but the number of new infections continued to soar.The European Union has struck a deal for up to 160 million doses of US firm Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine candidate, the head of the European Commission said on Tuesday, taking the EU's potential stock of Covid-19 shots to nearly 2 billion.
In August the EU's executive Commission, which co-leads talks with vaccine makers on behalf of member states, said it had held preliminary talks with Moderna over a deal for 80 million doses and an option for 80 million more. The terms of the contract have not been disclosed. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has warned Italians not to ski during the Christmas holidays to help curb a second wave of the new coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 50 000.
Details of the exact pricing are expected later on Tuesday, but Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's RDIF sovereign wealth fund, told Reuters that Sputnik V would be priced significantly lower than other rivals with similar efficacy levels.
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