ROME, APRIL 1 : Italian authorities have granted the rescue vessel, Open Arms, permission to bring more than 200 rescued migrants to Sicily, the non-profit organization announced on Thursday.

The migrants had been rescued in several operations from small boats in the Mediterranean, DPA news agency reported. Italian authorities already took some of them in for medical reasons, Open Arms said.

Now the remaining 209 people are to be taken to Pozzallo, near the city of Ragusa. Private organizations regularly rescue migrants from distress in the Mediterranean Sea, as they try to reach Europe with small boats, usually departing from Libya. The crossing is considered dangerous. The rescue operations are however viewed critically in some countries.

Vaccination at Italy: Meanwhile, about 10 million Italians have received at least the first dose of one of the three approved vaccines, while the number of fully-vaccinated individuals -- those who have received two doses totalled 3.1 million, or around 5.1 per cent of the country's population.

Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi and his wife Maria Serenella Cappello, both 73, received his first dose of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine last day. the same product that his government had decided to temporarily halt the use of earlier this month.

The AstraZeneca is one of the three approved vaccines for use in Italy, together with those produced by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna. Of the three, AstraZeneca's has been the most controversial after reports of it causing blood clots that resulted in two deaths in Italy. After the second death, the use of the vaccine was suspended for four days ending March 19.

Portugal upgrades mandatory use of masks in public spaces until June 13

US private companies add 5.17 Lakh employments in March

The first 'travel bubble' of Asia opens between Taiwan and Palau