Cyprus expects its first deliveries of Covid-19 vaccines in January as part of the rollout across Europe with Pfizer-BioNTech batches arriving first, officials said Tuesday.

-It is the beginning of the end, rather than the end itself- said Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou.

The government had hoped vaccines would arrive by the end of December, under the European Union approval and distribution system, but the timetable shifted.

-The first batch of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is expected in January- state medical services deputy head Olga Kalakouta told reporters.

Cyprus has ordered around three million doses including from AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech, Sanofi and GSK, CureVac, Moderna, Novavax and Janssen.

Apart from Janssen, each vaccine requires two injections.

Cyprus has seen a recent surge of cases, with the majority of the 82 deaths from Covid-19 occurring in November and December.

In the coming weeks, Cyprus expects delivery of 168,000 doses, with the first 48,000 in early January from Pfizer-BioNTech, and then regular deliveries of vaccines every three months.

Kalakouta said the target was to vaccinate 350 people a day at 38 vaccination centres.

Those given priority will be frontline workers like hospital staff and care home residents, plus vulnerable groups with serious illnesses.

Covid-19 vaccines will not be obligatory, Ioannou has said.

As an EU member, Cyprus takes part in all agreements signed by the European Commission with the vaccine companies.