Nay Pyi Taw, Aug 2 (IANS): Myanmar has vaccinated over 1.8 million people against Covid-19 as of July 21 this year, Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing said in a televised statement.

"Vaccines were administered in all regions and states from January 27 to July 21 this year, over 1.8 million people, or 6.08 per cent of the target population, were vaccinated two times," Xinhua news agency quoted Min Aung Hlaing as saying on Sunday.

Fifty per cent of the total population is expected to get vaccinated by the end of this year, he added.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Health and Sports, Myanmar reported 3,480 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the tally in the country to 302,665.

The death toll has reached 9,731 after 397 more deaths were reported in the past 24 hours, the statement said.

A total of 213,227 patients have been discharged from the hospitals and over 3.16 million samples have been tested for the virus since the onset of the pandemic early last year.

Meanwhile, the State Administration Council on Sunday announced the extension of the public holiday period for one more week to August 8, in an effort to further curb the transmission of the virus.

Min Aung Hlaing also stressed that the military has prepared to admit 39,000 patients at 1,278 treatment centres, while for civilians there 1,453 facilities.

Myanmar detected its first two positive cases of Covid-19 on March 23 last year.