Chile's Ministry of Health on Thursday reported 2,395 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) disease in the last 24 hours, amid high hopes for the country's just-launched vaccination drive.
Immunization began early in the day, following the arrival of the first 10,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
"This first stage (of vaccination) should not make us forget that the virus will continue to be present for a long time, to maintain physical distance, use a face mask and wash our hands," Chilean Health Minister Enrique Paris said.
"In the first quarter (of 2021) we are just going to have 5 million people vaccinated, and in the first half (of the year) we are going to reach 80 percent of the population," he said.
The total number of people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in Chile reached 593,310, while the death toll rose to 16,303, after 75 more daily deaths. (/Xinhua)
( With inputs from ANI )
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