File photo: Members of the medical staff at the infectious diseases unit of the Imbaba hospital in the capital Cairo gather for a break, during the novel coronavirus pandemic crisis. (AFP)
Egypt detected 547 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, bringing the total infections toll in the country since the outbreak of the pandemic last year to 165,418.
According to an official statement, the health ministry reported 46 deaths, bringing the fatalities from the virus to 9,263.
The statement said that 493 patients have been discharged from hospitals after recovering from the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries to 129,293.
Egypt began its COVID-19 vaccination roll-out last week, with priority to the country’s medical staff who are on the frontline battling the outbreak.
Around 1,315 of the medical staff nationwide have received the first dose of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine at 22 isolation and fever hospitals until Thursday.
The roll-out would see each person receiving two shots administered 21 days apart.
Egypt is looking to boost its supply of coronavirus vaccines to face the outbreak in the overpopulous country which many fear could overwhelm the country’s health system.
It is currently awaiting on new deliveries of coronavirus vaccines to expand the vaccinations' access to more categories, especially to top priority groups which include patients suffering from chronic diseases and elderly citizens.
Egypt received the first batch of the Chinese vaccine - 50,000 doses - in December from the UAE. The ministry approved the vaccine in early January and is expecting a second batch.
The Chinese vaccine is one of three vaccines planned for use in inoculation by the country in innoculating citizens along with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and the Russian-made Sputnik vaccine.
Egypt is set to receive a first shipment of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday.
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