Morocco announced plans on Monday to produce locally the Chinese Covid-19 vaccine Sinopharm, the official MAP news agency reported, adding that five million doses could soon be produced per month.

The agency said Morocco and Sinopharm signed a memorandum of cooperation for that purpose, at a ceremony attended by King Mohammed VI.

The project will involve an investment of around $500 million, MAP reported, but it did not say when production will begin.

Around 9.1 million of Morocco’s 36 million population have received two doses of Covid vaccines since the inoculation drive started in January.

The country is using the Sinopharm and AstraZeneca jabs.

It has registered 534,797 coronavirus infections, including 9,329 deaths.