Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced that 2.5 million citizens have thus far received a vaccine against COVID-19, out of the six million total registered for vaccination.
During a Wednesday press conference Madbouly emphasized the state’s keenness to both keep its citizens safe while continuing the wheel of economy.
“We aim by the end of the year that 40 percent of the Egyptian people receive coronavirus vaccines,” Madbouly added.
He continued, “We work throughout the day to secure the largest number of vaccines, whether locally produced or imported through approved international companies, and we monitor everyday the emergence of new vaccines after being approved by the World Health Organization in order to provide it to Egyptian citizens.”
“According to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s directives, the state provides all financial capabilities to provide vaccines, in order to decrease significantly the risks and the severity of the disease with the increase in the rates of vaccination,” Madbouly said.
The country’s vaccination campaign began on January 24, and patients are receiving doses of China’s Sinopharm jab and the UK’s AstraOxford vaccine.
A country-wide partial lockdown aimed at curbing cases that has been in place since May 6 is ended on Tuesday.
All restaurants, cafés, shops, and malls are able to resume normal business hours and stay open later than the previously enforced 9 pm curfew.
Egypt’s Health Ministry on Tuesday announced 956 new coronavirus cases, bringing the country’s total up to 263,606.
The total number of COVID-19-related deaths is now 15,136 nationwide, after the ministry announced 40 deaths.
And 711 patients were discharged from quarantine at isolation hospitals, raising Egypt’s total number of fully-recovered cases to 192,823.
