File Photo: Health minister Hala Zayed (Photo Courtesy of Ministry of Health)
Egypt’s Minister of Health Hala Zayed revealed on Thursday in a meeting with the World Health Organization (WHO) that the number of coronavirus infections in Egypt is expected to increase by April.
In a videoconference with the WHO about the latest developments concerning COVID-19 in Africa, Zayed said the Egyptian health ministry expects an increase in infection rates in April but the curve will decline in May.
Egypt entered the second wave of coronavirus in early December, however, in January, the country witnessed a decline in the daily infection rate.
Egypt has so far registered 171,290 cases of coronavirus, including 133,331 recoveries and 9,804 fatalities, since the outbreak of the pandemic in February 2020.
Zayed also revealed that the seventh week in both the first and second waves of the pandemic witnessed a peak in infections and fatalities.
The minister added that Egypt provided $4 million in medical aid to 30 African countries and participated in all the current research related to COVID-19 with the WHO.
Zayed also said that Egypt is finalising contracts to manufacturing COVD-19 vaccines in the country in a way that would allow Egypt to deliver vaccines locally and to African countries at cost.
The minister also thanked COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) for its help in providing vaccines to low and middle-income countries.
COVAX delivered to Egypt its first shipment of Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine in late January.
“Egypt managed to provide 95 percent of our needs locally. In addition, we managed to manufacture coronavirus medications like Remdesivir," she said.
Egypt started its vaccination campaign using the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine last month, beginning with medical teams nationwide.
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