Egypt’s Health Ministry of Health and Population said in its daily coronavirus statement that 37 new deaths related to COVID-19 complications were recorded in the past 24 hours nationwide, bringing the total number of deaths from the virus to 21,608.

The statement added that 543 patients have been discharged after recovering from the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries to 317,199.

Egypt has been witnessing a fourth wave of coronavirus pandemic since early August.

However, Presidential Adviser for Health Affairs Mohamed Awad Tag El-Din has said The fourth wave has not reached its peak yet, but he assured that the situation in Egypt is under control.

Cairo International Airport received on Saturday shipment of over 2.3 million doses of the Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca vaccines.

The shipment, provided by COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX), included 1.5 million doses of the Pfizer vaccines, 460,000 doses of the Moderna vaccines, and 350,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Egypt has obtained over 116.8 million imported doses of the Sinopharm, Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Sputnik V, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, and Moderna vaccines. It has also locally produced millions of doses of the Chinese Sinovac vaccine.

Approximately 20 million Egyptians are fully vaccinated and 33.8 million others partially vaccinated, the health ministry said on Thursday, adding that an average of 350,000 doses is administered daily.

The Egyptian government is looking to inoculate at least 40 million of the 102-million population by 31 December.

The health ministry has started inoculaing people who received their first doses six months ago with the booster shot.

The ministry expects to secure up to 23 million booster shots by 30 June 2022.