Sanchez lauds Spain vaccine rate, economic recovery
Madrid, Jul 28 (EFE).- Spain is the leading country in the vaccination race against Covid-19 and economic recovery post-pandemic, prime minister Pedro Sanchez said Wednesday in a political and financial review of the country.
“I will give you a fact that defines what Spain is: a country that is first in vaccination and leads the economic growth forecast,” Sanchez told a press conference.
Over 26 million people in Spain, accounting for 55 percent of the population, have received the full course of the coronavirus vaccine, positioning the country ahead of the world’s leading economies including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and France.
“We are on the verge of overcoming a cycle in our history that has marked our lives forever. The pandemic has seriously damaged how we all live,” the prime minister said.
“Now, we have the opportunity to gain from our efforts and begin the stage of recovery at all levels,” he added.
Sanchez insisted Spain would reach its goal to vaccinate 70 percent of its population by the end of summer.
“When I said that 70% of the population would be fully vaccinated by the end of the summer, many people criticized the government. Today we can affirm that we are going to achieve it and we will have the herd immunity set by the experts,” he said.
But Sanchez acknowledged that due to the Delta variant, a higher rate of vaccination could be necessary to achieve herd immunity.
The prime minister said that Spain’s successful vaccination campaign was thanks to the commitment of Spaniards and health professionals, as well as collaboration within parliament.
“If we are leading in vaccination and in the economic transformation, it shows that our state, in the face of an unparalleled test like the pandemic, is getting it right,” he said.
The coronavirus incidence rate in Spain has fallen for the first time in a month as the country experiences a fifth wave of infections, mounting pressure on hospitals and primary health care centers. EFE
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