Egypt reported 1,032 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, bringing the total infection tally to 228,584 since the outbreak began in February. In a statement, the health ministry also reported 63 new deaths, raising the total number of deaths from the virus to 13,402. The ministry added that 769 patients have been discharged after they recovered from the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries to 171,542. Egypt is currently suffering from a third coronavirus wave and the new daily infection toll has topped 1,000 every day since 27 April for the first time since 9 January. Several governors of Egypt's 27 governorates, including the capital, have issued directives to close public parks and beaches ahead of the Sham El-Nessim celebration, scheduled for Monday, due to the surge in coronavirus cases. Health Minister Hala Zayed said last week that a surge in infections throughout April has been expected due to religious occasions and related social habits. The country has been inoculating vaccinating priority groups against the virus using the Sinopharm and the AstraZeneca vaccines. Egypt has so far received over 2.5 million doses of both vaccines, health ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said in remarks to Al-Hekaya TV program on Friday. Megahed said around 1.9 million citizens have registered on the website allocated by the ministry for citizens willing to receive the vaccine, 750,000 of whom were vaccinated. Egypt will receive 1.7 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) and a million doses of the Sinopharm on 9 May, Megahed said. By mid-May, 2 million Chinese Sinovac doses that are ready for manufacturing will arrive in the country as part of Egypt's efforts to locally produce the vaccine, Megahed said. Also, half a million doses of the Sinovac vaccine will arrive for immediate use. Megahed said Egypt also contracted to get 10 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. The country also requested four million Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses that are expected to arrive in the fourth quarter of this year, Megahed added.
