TIRANA, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Albania reported Sunday 1,184 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the country's total tally to 100,246, according to the Ministry of Health.

It also reported 13 COVID-19 related deaths in the past 24 hours, which took the toll to 1,666. Meanwhile, the country's recoveries rose by 796 in the 24-hour span to 63,329.

On Sunday, medical staff started to vaccine the elderly in the capital city of Tirana. The first to get the vaccine jab were 24 distinguished personalities, including former politicians and artists above the age of 80.

Prime Minister Edi Rama said that his decision to inoculate distinguished personalities in the country serves as a "message of solidarity."

"We begin today with distinguished figures in the country above the age of 80. Vaccination starts with them in a symbolic way in order to proceed later on with other citizens," Rama said.

As the world is struggling to contain the pandemic, vaccination is underway in some countries with the already-authorized coronavirus vaccines.

Meanwhile, 251 candidate vaccines are still being developed worldwide -- 70 of them in clinical trials -- in countries including Germany, China, Russia, Britain and the United States, according to information released by the World Health Organization on Feb. 19. Enditem

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