More Chinese COVID-19 vaccines arrive in Thailand

A health worker prepares a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Samut Prakan, Thailand, on Aug. 9, 2021. (Photo by Rachen Sageamsak/Xinhua)

The vaccines from China came as Thailand is struggling to contain a months-long surge in COVID-19 infections.

BANGKOK, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Two batches of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines were flown to the Thai capital Bangkok on Sunday, boosting support to the Southeast Asian country's fight against its worst-ever wave of the coronavirus outbreak.

The Chinese Embassy in Thailand confirmed the arrival of the vaccines in a Facebook post, saying that so far China has provided 24.55 million doses of vaccines to help Thailand fight the pandemic.

The vaccines came as Thailand is struggling to contain a months-long surge in infections.

The country on Sunday reported 21,882 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total number of infections to 907,157. The cumulative deaths climbed to 7,552, with 209 more fatalities reported over the last 24 hours, according to the country's Center for the COVID-19 Situation Administration.

Thailand aims to vaccinate about 70 percent of its nearly 70 million population by the end of the year, with more than 7 percent of its population having been fully vaccinated as of Saturday.