Angolan President João Lourenço has ordered the purchase of 10 million doses of the vaccine against COVID-19 devised by Sinopharm Group Co. Ltd of China, Novo Jornal reports.

Mr Lourenço’s order, given last week, authorises his government to spend US$88 million to cover the cost of the vaccine, shipping it and storing it, the Angolan newspaper says.

Separately, the Portuguese news agency, Lusa, reports that São Tomé and Principe is due to receive 100,000 more doses of the vaccine against COVID-19 devised by another Chinese company, Sinovac Biotech Ltd.

The vaccine, donated by China, is expected within days, Lusa quotes São Toméan government spokesman Adelino Lucas as saying last week.