The Ministry of Health and Population revealed on Wednesday that the fourth wave of the coronavirus is expected to hit Egypt around the end of September or beginning of October.

It warned citizens against neglecting following precautionary measures such as wearing masks, social distancing, washing hands constantly for a period no less than 20 seconds with soap and water, staying away from crowded areas, and avoiding touching any surfaces.

The ministry also called on citizens to register for a vaccine on the relevant website to reserve their spot in the queue and contribute to limiting the spread of the virus.

The state’s plan in preparation for the expected wave is to finish vaccinating at least 40 percent of all citizens beforehand.

Egypt seeks to inoculate 800,000 people per day to increase the number of vaccinated citizens against the coronavirus to 35.353 million in an average of 88 days, a cabinet statement cited Health Minister Hala Zayed as saying on Monday.

Health Ministry Spokesman Khaled Megahed stated that Egypt has so far received four shipments of the AstraZeneca vaccine — which has an efficacy rate of 76 percent in preventing infection — through COVAX.

Megahed explained to Youm7 News website that shipments of vaccines that arrive to Egypt are subjected to analysis in the laboratories of the Egyptian Medicines Authority.

Additionally, Dr. Mostafa Mohammadi, a serology and vaccines expert and director of the Centre for Serums and Vaccination, confirmed that so far there is no mechanism for vaccination outside the registration system on the vaccination website prepared by the Ministry of Health.

He told Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper that there are two scenarios for those wishing to travel outside Egypt and need an approved vaccination certificate. 

The first is if travellers have already received the vaccine, in this case, one must go to one of the centres designated for vaccinating travellers, where they will be issued the certificate for 100 pounds.

However, if the traveler has not yet been immunised, then they must register on the website in the travellers’ section to reserve the vaccine; in which case they will be summoned within 72 hours to one of the aforementioned centres to receive the vaccine and be issued a globally approved certificate with a valid QR Code, Mohammadi added.

According to the Ministry of Health, Egypt reported 112 new coronavirus cases, five deaths, and 199 recoveries on Tuesday, bringing the official tally to 285,577 infections, 16,630 deaths, and 234,449 recoveries since the outbreak began in February 2020.