Egypt’s Health Ministry on Tuesday confirmed 581 new coronavirus cases, bringing the country’s total tally up to 183,591, ministry spokesperson Khaled Megahed announced.
The total number of COVID-19-related deaths has now reached 10,778 nationwide, after the ministry announced 42 deaths.
And 308 patients were discharged from quarantine at isolation hospitals, raising Egypt’s total number of fully-recovered cases to 141,655.
Egypt launched its vaccination campaign on January 24. The Health Ministry is currently working to vaccinate medical staff first, and has opened registration for Egyptians and non-Egyptians over 65 or will chronic illnesses to register for the jab online.
The vaccine will cost no more than LE200 per person, Health Minister Hala Zayed announced, with low-income folks eligible to get their doses for free.
Egypt is currently using China’s Sinopharm vaccine for its campaign and has received doses of the UK’s AstraOxford vaccine. The ministry also plans to employ Russia’s Sputnik-V vaccine, once it makes its way to Cairo.
AstraOxford and Sputnik-V received emergency approval from the Egyptian Drug Authority on February 24.
So far, 100 million doses of the vaccine have been secured by the ministry, which is enough to vaccinate roughly half of Egypt’s population.
Egypt’s second wave hit its peak on December 30, when the health ministry reported 1,411 new cases. Case numbers experienced a sharp decline in January, but are now stabilizing, with the seven-day average hovering between 600 and 625 since February 15.
Government officials continue to urge authorities to strictly enforce the country’s mask mandate, which applies to all public transportation and indoor public spaces.
