The first batch of COVID-19 vaccines donated by the Chinese government arrived in Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan, on Friday.

Photos: People's Daily

The shipment of 150,000 doses from Chinese company Sinopharm was welcomed at the airport by Kyrgyz officials and Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Du Dewen.

A Xiamen Airlines plane transported the 3.4 tons of vaccine, which needed to be kept at 2-8 C, the airline said.

147 Chinese personnel who will work in Kyrgyzstan joined the flight.

On February 5 Du told Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Ruslan Kazakbaev at a meeting that the Chinese government would provide free COVID-19 vaccines.

Kyrgyzstan recorded its first COVID-19 case in March 2020. The cumulative number of confirmed cases in the country has exceeded 87,000 with the death toll at over 1,400.

(Compiled by Zhang Jian)