Staff members unload the AstraZeneca vaccines from the plane at Cardinal Bernadin Gantin International Airport in Cotonou, Benin, March 10, 2021. Benin received its first batch of coronavirus vaccines on Wednesday, joining the list of African countries that have received their first doses via the COVAX initiative. (Photo by Seraphin Zounyekpe/Xinhua)

COTONOU, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Benin received its first batch of coronavirus vaccines on Wednesday, joining the list of African countries that have received their first doses via the COVAX initiative.

Receiving vaccines is "a turning point" in Benin's national response to the pandemic, said Health Minister Benjamin Hounkpatin as he welcomed the 144,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines here at Cardinal Bernadin Gantin International Airport.

He noted that the batch will reinforce the country's efforts to protect its people against the virus. It will cover 70,000 frontline health workers and other vulnerable groups, said the Beninese government.

The government said in a news release that 20 percent of the population is expected to take jabs distributed via COVAX for low income countries.

So far, the west African country has registered a total of 6,501 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 868 patients under treatment, 5,552 recoveries and 81 deaths.