CAIRO, Dec 24 (NNN-MENA) – The COVID-19 spread has suddenly spiked in Egypt, as the north African country reported 911 new COVID-19 infections and 42 deaths on Wednesday, Health Minister, Hala Zayed said.
After this spike, total deaths reached 7,209, while infections hit 127,972, the minister told reporters, on the recent developments of the pandemic in Egypt.
The minister revealed that, provinces of Cairo, Giza, Alexandria and Qalyubia, registered the highest number of infections this week, pointing out that, 363 hospitals have been prepared to receive COVID-19 patients across the country.
Zayed said, Egypt signed contracts on Dec 4, with the Global Vaccine Alliance and Immunisations (GAVI), to obtain vaccines for the virus, adding that, Egypt has already received the first batch of the vaccines.
The priority of distributing the vaccines would be given to the medical staff in isolation hospitals, people with chronic diseases, like cancer and kidney failure, and the elderly, Zayed noted.
On Dec 10, Egypt received the first batch of Chinese anti-virus vaccine, developed by China National Pharmaceutical Group, or Sinopharm.
Meanwhile, Egyptian Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly, said, New Year’s Eve celebrations will be banned, in a bid to contain the spread of the virus amid the rising daily infection tolls reported recently.
Madbouy instructed all concerned authorities to strictly confront violations of the precautionary measures, to avoid enforcing a lockdown that will bear negative economic repercussions, Ahram reported.
Egypt announced its first confirmed COVID-19 case on Feb 14, and the first death on Mar 8.
COVID-19 daily infections have been climbing in recent weeks. Around mid-June, Egypt saw a peak of COVID-19 daily infections and fatalities, before they started to gradually decline in the first week of July.
Amid declining COVID-19 infections and deaths, Egypt has been easing restrictions over the past three months as part of a coexistence plan to maintain anti-virus precautionary measures while resuming economic activities.– NNN-MENA
