Amid the sharp rise in coronavirus cases and deaths in the country, Afghans are visiting COVID vaccine centers in large numbers to get vaccinated, doctors said.

Afghanistan started vaccination this week after the arrival of 700,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine from China.

The Ministry of Public Health on Monday reported 1,804 new positive cases of COVID-19 out of 5,070 samples tested in the last 24 hours.

The ministry also reported 71 deaths and 296 recoveries from COVID-19 in the same period.

Monday was the third day of the start of the vaccination drive. Some Kabul residents who visited a vaccination center said people should get vaccinated as the deaths and the infection rates are high in the country.

“People should use masks, wash their hands and consider health advice,” said Fazl Karim, a Kabul resident.

The COVID-19 vaccination centers have been established in 17 hospitals in Kabul.

“Afghanistan is at the peak, therefore, we came here to get the shot to prevent the spread of the virus,” said Mohammad Siyam, a Kabul resident.

“I got the vaccine. I brought my children, too,” said Mohammad Akbar, a Kabul resident.

Doctors said they will make an effort to include ordinary people in the vaccination process.

“We keep at least 50 doses of vaccine for VIP people. The remaining 300 to 350 doses are for other people,” said Sayed Asadullah Sadat, head of the polyclinic center at Kabul Pediatrics Hospital. 

Figures show that to so far over 656,000 people have been vaccinated in the country. Over 121,000 of them are health workers and more than 81,000 are teachers.