KATHMANDU: Minister of State for Health and Population Umesh Shrestha has assured that 33 percent of the country’s population would be vaccinated against COVID-19 by mid-October this year.

He said that all eligible beneficiaries would be vaccinated within mid-April next year.

According to him, the country needed 55 million vaccines and agreements were already inked with various vaccine-producing and supplying countries for 52 million vaccines.

He added that the government could not procure vaccines beyond the capacity of storage facilities.

Nepal has the capacity to store only 2.5 million vaccines at a time, according to State Minister Shrestha.

According to him, PCR tests and antigen tests would be conducted free of cost in few days.