The vaccination initiative entitled ‘Operation Protect Each Other’ has received significant praise after amounting for approximately 77% of the nearly 2500 vaccinations that occurred in the territory over an 8-day period.
These statistics were revealed by Premier Andrew Fahie who made the disclosure during a recent COVID-19 update to the territory.
According to the premier, some 2498 persons received vaccines up until the press conference which was held on Friday July 23.
He said he expected that number to increase as a number of updates were still outstanding from some of the other vaccination facilities.
“‘Operation Protect Each Other’ has helped significantly to increase the number of vaccinated persons in our population. I am pleased that in the first two days of the operation approximately 800 persons took the vaccine. Of course, the exercise also continued at the Cappoons Bay field yesterday, 22nd July; and at Long Swamp and Virgin Gorda earlier today. And vaccination has been taking place at other centres throughout the Territory,” the premier stated.
He added, “The response to Operation Protect Each Other has been very positive. Based on the figures provided by the Ministry of Health, in the short period between 15th July and 22nd July, 2021, some 2,498 persons received vaccine shots. I repeat, some 2,498 persons received vaccine shots. Through ‘Operation Protect Each Other’, 1,922 persons received vaccine shots during those eight days. And these numbers continue to grow, because we still have to add the figures from today’s vaccination exercises, this is remarkable.”
BVI getting closer to its vaccination target
Premier Fahie said the vaccination initiative has assisted the BVI government in getting closer to their vaccination target of getting between 75 percent to 80 percent of the population fully vaccinated to reach the goal of herd immunity.
“BVI, we are getting it done. We are getting closer to our target. To GOD alone be all the glory. We have recognised that just over eight days ago we needed an additional at least, at a minimum another nine thousand plus persons to be vaccinated. And through this drive within the last eight days we have seen now that we are pushing to have just about under eight thousand more persons to be vaccinated. We are getting closer to our target,” Fahie explained.
Despite the good news, the Premier urged residents not to get complacent as the territory still has a lot of work to do to get on the path of minimum positive COVID-19 cases and herd immunity.