Spain to provide tax-free coronavirus vaccines and tests until 2022 end 

In accordance with the newly-reached European Union agreements Spain will abolish value-added tax (VAT) on the sale of COVID-19 vaccines and tests until the end of 2022, a senior official said Wednesday.

The government aims to cover large strata of people by the month of May. According to a tally by the John Hopkins University, Spain has a total of 1,720,056 cases with 47,344 fatalities. 

In Spain COVID-19 vaccinations will be free for citizens and administered by the public health system, Spain's Finance Minister and Government Spokesperson Maria Jesus Montero told the press after the weekly cabinet meeting.

The decision, she explained, is in line with EU guidelines issued on Monday requiring member states to modify VAT rates to zero or reduce the rates "temporarily."

Meanwhile, Spanish Health Minister Salvador Illa explained that Spain will kick off vaccination in January, aiming to cover a large percentage of the population by May.

It was the first time since August that the 14-day cumulative number of cases per 100,000 inhabitants had fallen below 200.

(With inputs from agencies)