The COVAX programme provides COVID-19 vaccines to countries in need.

“The Pacific nations that will be receiving these doses will be able to fully vaccinate populations that have received a first dose, and also increase the total number of people protected,” said Dr. Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

“New Zealand’s sharing of its COVAX allocation allows us to deliver more doses in an extremely tight global supply context.”

Deliveries of the vaccines are expected to arrive in Timor-Leste in the “coming months,” with additional allocations likely,  the statement said.

New Zealand has also pledged vaccines toFiji, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu.

The vaccine announcement comes as Timor-Leste continues to face its highest number of coronavirus infections since the pandemic started in March 2020.

Over the last 24 hours, 132 new cases have been reported in Dili, seven in Bobonaro and Viqueque, two in Covalima and one in Ainaro, according to an Integrated Centre for Crisis Management statement.

This brings the total number of active coronavirus cases in Timor-Leste to 2,602.