Maduro says he will be 1st to get Russian vaccine

By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has said he will be the first to get vaccinated when a Russian COVID-19 jab arrives in the country.

“I am pleased that Russia will be the first country in the world to vaccinate its population massively,” Maduro said in a televised speech on Sunday.

“There will be a time when we all get vaccinated, and the first one to be vaccinated will be me. I'm going to get the vaccine, I'm going to set an example," he added.

Maduro said the government will first vaccinate healthcare workers, elderly people, and those with underlying health conditions.

Russian officials have confirmed that a mass vaccination could begin as soon as October, which is causing widespread alarm around the world because the vaccine has not yet passed clinical trials. Putin said his daughter has already been given the vaccine.

The Venezuelan president accused US President Donald Trump's government of not allowing the delivery of medicines to Venezuela.

"They are persecuting us; we are going to buy medicines against the coronavirus and they are telling the company not to bring the vaccine to Venezuela".

Maduro announced that Venezuela will be confined to a new seven-day quarantine to stop the COVID-19 pandemic. The measure is part of the country's 7+7 method, that consists of seven days of strict confinement, followed by seven days of open economic activity.

Venezuela has confirmed more than 33,000 cases of coronavirus and 281 deaths as of Monday.