Egypt reports average of 182 daily coronavirus infections; 17 cases died last week

CAIRO – 11 August 2022: Egypt has reported an average of 182 daily coronavirus cases over the period from 6-10 August and 17 cases have died during the same period, Acting Minister of Health Khaled Abdel Ghaffar said on Thursday.

During a Cabinet meeting, Abdel Ghaffar said 98 percent of the beds in hospitals allocated to treat coronavirus are vacant. Also, 89 percent of the ICU beds are vacant and 95 percent of ventilators are unoccupied, the minister noted.

As many as 49.8 million people received their first coronavirus shots, representing 99.6 percent of the targeted population, and more than 38.9 citizens received their second shot, representing 73 percent of the targeted population, Abdel Ghaffar said.

The number of those who received their booster shots amounted to more than 7.6 million citizens, Abdel Ghaffar added.

The minister said that 31,800 cases of Monkeypox have appeared in 89 countries, including 35 in the Middle East. He affirmed that Egypt has not reported any monkeypox cases to date.

The ministry said earlier that it has issued an integrated guide for the monkeypox disease in May, updated it according to the developments of the global and regional epidemiological situation on 25 July, and distributed it to all governorates.

The ministry also activated the rapid response team at the central level, as well as the disease monitoring services at all Egyptian ports of entry to take necessary measures of isolation for any suspected monkeypox cases, Abdel Ghaffar in July remarks.

The ministry will refer any suspected cases to near fever hospital and provide the necessary detection kits to examine cases in the central laboratories of the ministry, he affirmed.