Egypt to vaccinate half of its population by end of 2021

The Egyptian health ministry has announced that it will have vaccinated half of the country’s population against Covid-19 by the end of this year.

JOHANNESBURG, June 1 (ANA) – The Egyptian health ministry has announced that it will have vaccinated half of the country’s population against Covid-19 by the end of this year.

According to Arab News, Egypt’s cabinet spokesperson Nader Saad said that the expansion of vaccine distribution had contributed to the steadiness of the administration of vaccines.

Saad stated that the country planned to vaccinate 500,000 people a day so that 50% of the population was vaccinated by the end of the year.

Saad further noted that 2.1 million citizens had received their first vaccine dose and that 625,000 had received both.

On Monday, Asharq Al-Awsat reported that Egypt will lift restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus, including easing the early closure of shops and restaurants, from Tuesday, June 1.

According to the publication, since May 6, stores, malls and restaurants have had to close by 9pm following a surge in case numbers.

Egypt has 403 vaccination centres nationwide in addition to mobile clinics.

On May 24, Xinhua reported that Egypt had received the first batch of the raw materials needed to manufacture China’s Sinovac vaccine and that three million doses would be manufactured in Egypt in June.

Egyptian Health Minister Hala Zayed said on May 9 that the first two million doses of the Sinovac vaccine would be produced at the plants of the Egyptian Holding Company for Biological Products and Vaccines (VACSERA).

In its latest update, Egypt has reported 262,650 Covid-19 cases. It has also recorded 192,112 recoveries and 15,096 coronavirus-related deaths.

– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher