Our greatest weapon against the virus is being vaccinated - TRNC Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health

The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health and Head of the Higher Committee for Infectious Diseases Associate Prof Dr. Deren Oygar on Tuesday said that 70% of patients in hospital suffering from COVİD-19 had not been vaccinated.

Oygar pointed to the importance of being vaccinated against the virus and added that this was the greatest weapon in battling the pandemic.

Speaking to the TAK news agency, Oygar referred to the struggle waged against the Coronavirus, the latest situation of vaccinations in the TRNC, and the implementation of the integration of the ‘Digital COVİD certificate’.

Giving information on the latest arrival of vaccines to the TRNC, Oygar said that 40 thousand AstraZeneca, 10 thousand Pfizer BioNTech and one thousand Johnson & Johnson had been delivered to the island on Tuesday.

In total 21,050 Pfizer BioNTech, 68,700 AstraZeneca and 29,000 of Johnson & Johnson vaccines have been delivered from the Metehan border crossing via UN officials so far.

Oygar also reminded that Turkey has sent 340 thousand Sinovac and 10 thousand 530 Pfizer BioNTech doses, bringing that that to a total of 350 thousand and 530 doses.

So far 43 percent of the TRNC population have had their first dose and 40 percent have completed both doses, she said.

Referring to the recent positive cases in the TRNC, Oygar said that most of the cases were from the British variant.

Reminding that most of the positive cases were from the entertainment and tourism sectors, Oygar said that those affected the most are between the ages of 20 to 29 and 30 to 39.

Stating that precautions in the TRNC could increase in reflection to the rise in positive cases, Oygar said that a lockdown was not on the government’s agenda.

She also announced that all health care workers have received their third dose.

Referring to the work being carried on the integration of the digital vaccination certificate system in order to facilitate the safe travel of those who have been vaccinated in the TRNC, Oygar said that as the ministry they have completed the infrastructure work.

“The Ada pass application (Island Pass) has achieved the technical infrastructure so we can access information on the digital vaccine certificate systems information in the EU, South Cyprus and Turkey. The technical infrastructure and the QR code is also ready so we can exchange information” said Oygar.

BRTK