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Egypt Seeks to Expand Vaccination Rollout

Egypt Seeks to Expand Vaccination Rollout
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Egypt Seeks to Expand Vaccination Rollout

Egypt Seeks to Expand Vaccination Rollout

The Egyptian government will implement several measures to accelerate COVID-19 inoculations after it received more than 854,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine last week.

Only 148,987 citizens, including medical staff, healthcare workers and vulnerable groups, have been vaccinated so far, said Health Minister Hala Zayed during a meeting with ministry officials on the inoculation process.

Health Ministry Spokesman Khalid Mujahid said Zayed ordered doubling the number of medical teams at vaccination centers nationwide, as well as the working hours.

She also stressed that the number of citizens visiting each center should not exceed 100 per day, he added.

Workers in the tourism sector will be soon vaccinated, the minister affirmed, especially in coastal governorates as the summer approaches.

Egypt on Wednesday received 854,400 doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine as part of the global COVAX agreement.

COVAX was established by the Geneva-based GAVI vaccine alliance and the World Health Organization (WHO) for the equitable distribution of vaccines.

The shipment is part of 40 million doses that Egypt is set to receive through GAVI in 2021.

Egypt had received its first 50,000 dose shipment of the AstraZeneca vaccine earlier this year and 680,000 doses of China’s Sinopharm vaccine. It will soon receive 900,000 more doses of Sinopharm.

Mujahid said authorities have opened 40 more centers, taking the total to 139 throughout the country.

In televised comments on Friday, he said authorities are aiming to increase the number of vaccination centers to 200, with 40 in Cairo alone.

Egypt has reported some 250,000 COVID-19 infections, 156,000 recoveries and 12,163 deaths.

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Lebanon Sends Message of Confidence with First Local Elections

A Lebanese man casts his ballot during the Municipal elections at a polling station in Deir El Qamar, in the Chouf District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate, southeast of Beirut, Lebanon, 04 May 2025. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
A Lebanese man casts his ballot during the Municipal elections at a polling station in Deir El Qamar, in the Chouf District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate, southeast of Beirut, Lebanon, 04 May 2025. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
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Lebanon Sends Message of Confidence with First Local Elections

A Lebanese man casts his ballot during the Municipal elections at a polling station in Deir El Qamar, in the Chouf District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate, southeast of Beirut, Lebanon, 04 May 2025. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
A Lebanese man casts his ballot during the Municipal elections at a polling station in Deir El Qamar, in the Chouf District of the Mount Lebanon Governorate, southeast of Beirut, Lebanon, 04 May 2025. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH

Lebanon completed the first phase of its municipal and mayoral elections on Sunday, in a vote overseen by political and security authorities and hailed by officials as transparent.

The polls mark the country’s first electoral process under President Joseph Aoun, who sought to reassure voters that “the state is serious about safeguarding their right to express their views through the ballot box.”

Aoun described the vote’s integrity as a “message of trust to the world that Lebanon is beginning to recover, rebuild its institutions, and is now on the right track.”

Sunday’s vote covered Mount Lebanon province, the most populous region in the country.

The area includes a mix of religious and political affiliations, including Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold heavily damaged during Israel’s bombardment in the latest war on Lebanon.

Aoun made a field visit on Sunday to oversee Lebanon’s first municipal and mayoral elections since 2016, following years of delays caused by the country’s prolonged political and economic crises.

The president began his tour at the Ministry of Interior, where he met with Interior Minister Ahmed Al-Hajjar and Justice Minister Adel Nassar. The discussions focused on measures in place to safeguard the electoral process from any security or legal disruptions.

Both ministers assured the president of their full preparedness to address any challenges that may arise during the first phase of the vote, held in Mount Lebanon province.

Speaking to staff in the central operations room, Aoun called for “active and serious efforts” to ensure a smooth electoral process and to reassure citizens that the state is committed to protecting their right to vote freely.

He also urged voters to participate in large numbers and resist pressures based on sectarian, political or financial influences. “Do not let sectarian, partisan, or monetary factors sway your choice,” Aoun said.

Local elections were held across the districts of Jbeil, Keserwan, Metn, Aley, Baabda, and Chouf - areas where family and clan loyalties often outweigh political or sectarian affiliations in Lebanon’s complex electoral landscape.

As of late afternoon, with three hours remaining before polls closed, the Interior Ministry reported varying voter turnout rates across Mount Lebanon province.

Keserwan led with more than 53% turnout, followed by Jbeil nearing 50%. Aley registered 36.66%, Chouf 38%, Baabda 33.11%, and Northern Metn around 33%.