India / Envoys of 80 nations to visit firms working on COVID-19 vaccine in Hyd

New Delhi: Ambassadors and High Commissioners of as many as 80 countries will be landing in Hyderabad on 9 December to visit Bharat Biotech and BE limited, which are working on a vaccine against the novel coronavirus.

Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar held a meeting with an advance team, including Chief of Protocol Nagesh Singh and other senior officials of the state government and discussed the arrangements to be made in connection with the high profile visit, according to an official release on Friday.

"Chief Secretary informed that the dignitaries will be visiting Bharat Biotech Limited and Biological E limited the industrial units which are working on the COVID-19 vaccine in the country," it added.

He asked the officials to make foolproof arrangements duly following all the Covid-19 protocols during the visit of the dignitaries," the release said.

As many as five well equipped buses and a special medical team, should be put in place for the envoys.

A presentation should also be made to showcase the states potential in the production and supply of vaccine and should also include the Pharma City and Genome Valley, he added.

The Ministry of External Affairs is organising the visit of Ambassadors and High Commissioners to familiarise the foreign envoys about some key research and development activities being done by the country, according to the release.

This comes hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an all-party meeting via video conferencing, said that about eight potential vaccines, currently in different stages of trial, will be manufactured in India. These also include three indigenous vaccines as well.