MOSCOW, February 22. /TASS/. The Russian Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine has been registered in Syria and its use is now permitted in the republic, the Syrian Embassy in Moscow said in a statement obtained by TASS on Monday.

"The Syrian Arab Republic has fulfilled all the procedures for registering the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus infection and permitted its use on its territory," the statement says.

Russian Special Presidential Representative for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev earlier told TASS that Moscow was considering direct supplies of the Sputnik V vaccine to Damascus and for this purpose the vaccine’s registration by the Syrian Health Ministry was required.

As of today, the world’s first registered Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine has been approved for its use in over 30 countries.

According to the Syrian Health Ministry’s data cited by the SANA news agency, Syria has reported a total of 15,179 coronavirus cases and 998 people have died of the infection.