LUSAKA, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Zambia will launch the second round of COVID-19 vaccination campaign next month to cover more people, health minister Sylvia Masebo said on Friday.

       The second round will start in the second week of next month to reach those not yet vaccinated and to move closer to the target of vaccinating 70 percent of the eligible population, she said.

       "We will be providing an opportunity for those not yet vaccinated to get access by getting the vaccines closer to the community," Masebo told a press briefing on COVID-19.

       Only 21.3 percent of the eligible population have so far been fully vaccinated since the launch of the vaccination program in April 2021, she said.

       The pandemic is still a threat, as indicated by the emergence of new cases, the minister said, urging people to get vaccinated.

       She said the health ministry has initiated a program to digitalize COVID-19 certificates, and all those who have been vaccinated can access a self-service web portal to generate digital certificates with QR codes.