Another plane carrying the vaccine against COVID-19 took off from Beijing to Belarus on 22 December, BelTA learned from the Belarusian diplomatic mission in China.

"Another batch of COVID-19 vaccine produced by Vero Cell Corporation is on its way to Belarus," the embassy said. "The cargo includes 1.1 million doses of the vaccine purchased by Belarus."

The cargo is delivered by an aircraft of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus.

The Vero Cell vaccine has already established itself as an effective tool against the novel coronavirus infection. It also helps to avoid a severe course of the disease and complications.

According to the Chinese side, the vaccine is effective against the new variants of COVID-19 and can be used in children aged 3-17.

Source: BelTA

The Healthcare Ministry of Belarus has allowed the vaccination of children against COVID-19, BelTA informs citing the press service of the Healthcare Ministry.

Belarus will expand its COVID-19 vaccination program to include children aged 12-17. Parents or legal representatives of children should sign an informed consent for vaccination.

Healthy children aged 12-17 will have to wait six months after a coronavirus infection before having a COVID jab.

Belarus will offer China's Sinopharm [Vero Cell] Inactivated for those aged 12 and over.

Belarus will start inoculating children on 27 December 2021.

Source: BelTA

The Belarusian government has approved a national action plan to promote a green economy in 2021-2025. The plan was formalized by the Council of Ministers' Resolution No. 710 as of 10 December 2021, BelTA informs citing the National Legal Internet Portal.

“Over the past three decades, a green economy has not only taken center stage on the global agenda, but also acts as a strong driver of economic growth, contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Most countries in the world have updated their environmental policies and switched from the traditional model where environmental conservation was seen as a burden on the economy, to a model where environmental conservation is a driver of growth, that is, a green economy,” the document reads.

The promotion of an inclusive, smart and digital green economy that facilitates economic growth was identified as a strategic goal of the action plan. The green economy promotion efforts in Belarus will rely on the principles of sustainable development, inclusiveness, collaboration, innovation, science, eco-efficiency and sufficiency, resource conservation, waste management, increasing competitiveness in world markets taking into account the global go green movement, transparency, international cooperation and responsibility.

The national action plan will be in sync with the key provisions of Belarus' social and economic development program for 2021-2025. It will outline a set of priority measures, including the promotion of green economic growth while conserving natural assets and increasing employment through the creation of green jobs.

Among the priority areas of the green economy development in Belarus will be the promotion of sustainable consumption and production, the advancement of a circular economy, the production of organic products, fostering eco-tourism and agro-eco-tourism, promotion of smart and energy-efficient cities, electric transport (infrastructure) and urban mobility. In addition to that, the green agenda includes climate change mitigation and adaptation to climate change, conservation and sustainable use of biological and landscape diversity, development of green finance, education, training and social engagement, scientific support for the transition to a green economy.

According to the action plan, special attention should be paid to industry-specific and region-specific promotion strategies that take into account social and economic features of an area, as well as people's needs, including those of the most vulnerable groups.

The document sets forth what will be done to implement the action plan. This includes expanding environmental certification and eco-labelling, limiting the use of oxo-degradable plastics and microplastics, encouraging green marketing strategies in the field of sustainable production among Belarusian organizations, drafting and implementing a strategy for advancing a circular economy in Belarus for the period up to 2035, creating an Internet platform to educate businesses about the best practices in implementing a circular economy.

There are also plans to streamline legislation on waste management, production and sale of organic products, to promote a new type of settlements, to expand a network of charging stations for electric transport, to promote cycling.

The plans also include drafting the Long-term Low Greenhouse Gas Emission Development Strategy of the Republic of Belarus until 2050, introducing a voluntary environmental insurance mechanism, and developing a system of green public procurement.

The planned activities are to be implemented as part of government programs in 2021-2025.

The resolution comes into force after its official publication.

Source: BelTA

527,647 people (37% of the population) have already been vaccinated with the first dose of coronavirus vaccine in the Minsk region, 396,167 (28.3%) of them have completed a full course of vaccination, BelTA learned from the regional center for Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health.

"The vaccination process continues in parallel with the revaccination of those who have already been vaccinated before. So, at the moment, 6242 people, or 0.4% of the population of the capital region, have already been vaccinated according to a single vaccination scheme with the Sputnik Lite vaccine, the center's specialists said.

The leaders in the number of vaccinated are still Stolbtsovsky, Starodorozhsky and Nesvizh districts, where more than 45% of residents were vaccinated against covid. The population of Slutsk, Pukhovichi districts and the city of Zhodino is also actively vaccinated (here the percentage of vaccinated is also approaching 45%). At the same time, residents of the Borisovsky district, where 27% of people have not been vaccinated, are still undergoing the necessary procedure at a slow pace. Less than 34% were vaccinated in Myadel, Lyuban, Minsk and Soligorsk districts.

"From the very beginning of the vaccination program, the emphasis was placed on employees of healthcare organizations, educational institutions and social services of the population. Therefore, more than 75% of them have already been vaccinated", the regional Center for Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health noted.

Traditionally, a flu vaccination campaign is also taking place at this time. 420 812 people were vaccinated in the capital region, including 103,105 children and 317,707 adults. That is, only about 29.6% of the population. The Molodechno and Starodorozhsky districts are approaching the required indicator in 40% (more than 35%). More than 33% were vaccinated in Kletsky, Soligorsky, Smolevichi districts and Zhodino, less than 25% - in Logoysky, Slutsk and Borisovsky districts. The least vaccinated against influenza in the Uzden district - only 17.2% of residents.

Source: Minsk-region.gov.by

More than 3.896 million people in Belarus have got the first shot of a COVID-19 vaccine, of them over 3.110 million have been fully vaccinated, BelTA learned from the press service of the Healthcare Ministry.

The regional breakdown of people who got the second shot is as follows: Brest Oblast (over 398,700), Vitebsk Oblast (over 327,600), Gomel Oblast (over 538,300), Grodno Oblast (over 369,200), Mogilev Oblast (over 391,000), Minsk Oblast (over 396,100), and the city of Minsk (over 602,900),

More than 92,000 employees of various organizations and departments have been fully vaccinated so far.

Source: BelTA