Egypt’s health minister reveals 5 governorates with highest rates of coronavirus infections

CAIRO – 28 April 2021: Egypt’s Health Ministry on Wednesday said Cairo, Giza, Fayoum, Minya and Sohag are the five governorates in Egypt with the highest rates of coronavirus infections.

In a Cabinet meeting, Zayed said 5,845 coronavirus cases have been recorded this week compared to only 1,248 on the same week last year.

On Tuesday, Egypt reported 1,003 new coronavirus cases, the highest in more than three months.

In total, the country has reported 224,517 cases and 13,168 related deaths since the pandemic started.

The country has started its vaccination campaign in January and allows anyone above 18 living in Egypt to register to take the vaccine.

Currently, the focus is on medical workers, the elderly and people suffering from chronic diseases.

The country has received more than 1.5 million vaccine doses from Sinopharm and AstraZeneca and is planning to receive millions others during the coming period.

Presidential Advisor for Health Affairs Mohamed Tag El-Din said on Tuesday seven field hospitals are ready to receive coronavirus patients if required, denying any shortage in beds allocated for coronavirus patients.

In remarks to DMC, Tag El-Din warned citizens of a surge in coronavirus cases during the past period, urging them to abide by the preventive measures against the pandemic.

Tag El-Din said the state is planning to soon locally produce the Chinese and Russian coronavirus vaccine.

He noted that a large number of doses from these vaccines as well as Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses will also arrive soon to Egypt.

In a telephone remarks to ExtraNews TV channel Wednesday, Tag El-Din said the strong relationship binding President Abdel Fattah El Sisi with Chinese President Xi Jinping contributed to providing Egypt with good amounts of Covid-19 vaccines, MENA reported.

Part of these doses already arrived in Egypt as a gift from China while the other part has been bought at affordable prices, he noted.

Tageddin said contacts are being maintained with international organizations in charge of providing vaccines to world countries.

He said the state pays great attention to the vaccination file and diversifying the sources of the vaccines to get as much doses as it can for the inoculation of its people.

“We are in the third wave of Covid-19 infections where the number of infected people is on the rise," the presidential advisor warned, calling on citizens to strictly abide by the precautionary measures including wearing masks to prevent the spread of the pathogen.