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)
TT

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.



Lebanon's PM Says Country to Begin Disarming South Litani to Ensure State Presence

President Joseph Aoun met with PM Najib Mikati at Baabda palace. (NNA)
President Joseph Aoun met with PM Najib Mikati at Baabda palace. (NNA)
TT

Lebanon's PM Says Country to Begin Disarming South Litani to Ensure State Presence

President Joseph Aoun met with PM Najib Mikati at Baabda palace. (NNA)
President Joseph Aoun met with PM Najib Mikati at Baabda palace. (NNA)

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Friday that the state will begin disarming southern Lebanon, particularly the south Litani region, to establish its presence across the country.
"We are in a new phase - in this new phase, we will start with south Lebanon and south Litani specifically in order to pull weapons so that the state can be present across Lebanese territory," Mikati said.

Mikati's remarks followed a meeting with newly elected President Joseph Aoun at the Baabda Presidential Palace. Aoun was elected as the country's new head of state by parliament on Thursday, ending a vacancy in the presidency that had persisted for over two years.

In his address to parliament, Aoun pledged to control weapons outside the state's control, saying the government is the sole entity authorized to possess and use military force and weapons.
A ceasefire agreement that ended the 13-month-conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in November has given the Lebanese party 60 days to end its armed presence in southern Lebanon, while Israeli forces are also required to withdraw from the area over the same period.
The ceasefire agreement says Israeli forces will move south of the Blue Line “in a phased manner” within 60 days. The Lebanese army’s troops will deploy “in parallel” to the positions.