Egypt Sees Lower New Coronavirus Cases, Higher Deaths

Egypt reported on Sunday 674 new coronavirus infections, raising the total cases to 161,817 since the beginning of the virus outbreak.

"Fifty-seven more deaths were confirmed; raising the total number to 8,959," Khaled Megahed, the Health Ministry’s spokesman, said in a statement.

"Up to 126,497 patients have recovered so far," the spokesman said.

"As many as 321 Egyptians were among the recovered patients today," he added.

Minister of Health and Population Hala Zayed noted Egypt is the first African country to get the coronavirus vaccine and launch a vaccination campaign for its citizens.

Addressing a press conference following her participation in vaccination of the medical staff at Abu Khalifa isolation hospital in Ismailia governorate, Zayed noted that Egypt was one of the countries which partook in the third phase of the clinical trials to develop a vaccine.

Zayed listened to a presentation showing the mechanism of getting the vaccine starting from the phase of registering data, dates of the second dose, and ways of communication with the vaccinated people, saying Abu Khalifa hospital is the second Egyptian isolation hospital to receive Covid-19 patients.

The minister pointed out that the Sinopharm vaccine had been approved by the Egyptian Drugs Authority to authorize the emergency use of the Chinese vaccine.

She stressed the importance of protecting the medical teams by vaccinating them.

The vaccine, as per studies conducted, is 86% effective and has a 99% capacity to produce antibiotics, the minister said.

She added that the priority would be given to medical workers at the isolation hospitals, followed by people with chronic diseases and then the elderly. She further added that the country could store 140 million doses of the vaccine.