Sports and Youth Minister Namal Rajapaksa on Saturday declared that Sri Lanka has become the fastest vaccinating country against COVID-19 within South Asia. 

By Saturday, Sri Lanka had fully vaccinated 1.6 million people whilst administering 5.5 million in first doses. The country has used Covishield, AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Sputnik-V and Pfizer vaccines. 

Namal said this achievement using multiple vaccines was possible due to the leadership of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Namal made these remarks at a ceremony to vaccinate frontline tourism industry employees in Ella. 

He said that the tourism industry will revive soon with rapid vaccination and relaxed restrictions for vaccinated foreigners and other favourable arrangements for tourists.

SL has highest rate of daily COVID-19 vaccination, Our World in Data shows