Egypt Launches Awareness Campaigns on COVID-19 During Al-Fitr Holiday

Men in protective masks wait for the train at a metro station in Cairo. (Reuters)
Men in protective masks wait for the train at a metro station in Cairo. (Reuters)
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Egypt Launches Awareness Campaigns on COVID-19 During Al-Fitr Holiday

Men in protective masks wait for the train at a metro station in Cairo. (Reuters)
Men in protective masks wait for the train at a metro station in Cairo. (Reuters)

Egypt’s Health Ministry launched awareness campaigns on the COVID-19 outbreak during Eid al-Fitr, urging citizens to respect all necessary precautions.

Finance Minister Mohamed Maait said that the Egyptian president directed the concerned authorities to provide financial support to the health sector to address the impacts of the third wave of the coronavirus.

As per the presidential directives, allocations should help meet the requirements of hospitals from medical supplies and importation of COVID-19 vaccines, the minister noted.

In a statement on Friday, Maait said additional allocations hitting EGP13.2 billion have been offered to the health sector since the beginning of the current fiscal year to maintain the safety of citizens and reduce the spread of the global pandemic.

The government is closely following up on the repercussions of the third wave and taking all measures needed to curb its spread.

Health Ministry spokesperson Khaled Megahed also affirmed that awareness campaigns are still being launched in all provinces, especially as Egyptian celebrate Eid al-Fitr.

A number of teams are working to raise community awareness at public markets, railway stations, public transport, places of worship, salons, cafes, shopping centers, and villages, in cooperation with the sheiks and concerned authorities.

Egypt recorded 1,193 COVID-19 infections, and 59 deaths, raising the total number of infections to 242,120 cases, while the death toll stood at 14,150 deaths. The country also reported 179,261 recoveries.



Biden: Joseph Aoun is ‘First-Rate Guy’

FILE - President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool, File)
FILE - President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool, File)
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Biden: Joseph Aoun is ‘First-Rate Guy’

FILE - President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool, File)
FILE - President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool, File)

US President Joe Biden welcomed the election of Joseph Aoun as Lebanon's president on Thursday, saying in a statement that the army chief was the “right leader” for the country.

“President Aoun has my confidence. I believe strongly he is the right leader for this time,” said Biden, adding that Aoun would provide “critical leadership” in overseeing an Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire.

Aoun's election by Lebanese lawmakers ended a more than two-year vacancy and could mark a step towards lifting the country out of financial meltdown.

“We finally have a president,” Biden said later, at the end of a meeting on the response to major wildfires in the US city of Los Angeles.

He said he had spoken to Aoun by phone on Thursday for “20 minutes to half an hour,” describing the Lebanese leader as a “first-rate guy.”

Biden pledged to continue US support for Lebanon’s security forces, and for Lebanon’s recovery and reconstruction, the White House said in a readout of Biden’s call with Aoun.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Aoun's election “a moment of historic opportunity,” which offered Lebanon a chance to “establish durable peace and stability.”

Aoun, who turned 61 on Friday, faces the difficult task of overseeing the fragile ceasefire with Israel in south Lebanon.

Separately, Biden spoke about the hostage talks between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

“We’re making some real progress,” he told reporters at the White House, adding that he had spoken with US negotiators earlier Thursday.

“I know hope springs eternal, but I’m still hopeful that we’ll be able to have a prisoner exchange.”

Biden added: “Hamas is the one getting in the way of that exchange right now, but I think we may be able to get that done. We need to get it done.”