Egypt to Produce 40 Million COVID-19 Vaccine Doses in 2021

Students abiding by the precautionary measures against the coronavirus while taking exams in Giza. (EPA)
Students abiding by the precautionary measures against the coronavirus while taking exams in Giza. (EPA)
TT

Egypt to Produce 40 Million COVID-19 Vaccine Doses in 2021

Students abiding by the precautionary measures against the coronavirus while taking exams in Giza. (EPA)
Students abiding by the precautionary measures against the coronavirus while taking exams in Giza. (EPA)

Egypt has said it will produce 40 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine in the coming six months.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education and Technical Education affirmed that schools would take the necessary precautions to limit the spread of the pandemic during high school exams.

The procedures include physical distancing among students, measuring their temperature, sanitizing all halls and committing to wearing facemasks.

The Egyptian cabinet further denied rumors about dedicating special exam halls for coronavirus patients, saying the exams will be postponed for those infected with the virus.

The Health Ministry revealed that Egypt has so far provided medical aid to 38 Arab and African countries to face the pandemic.

In a video conference Egyptian Health Minister Hala Zayed and State Secretary of the German Federal Ministry of Health Sabine Weiss discussed the coronavirus situation in Egypt.

Zayed said Egypt has a low rate of infections despite its large population.

She also noted that despite Egypt being hit by three waves of the pandemic, the highest single-day tally of cases has never exceeded 1,700.

Egypt’s Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Mujahid revealed in a statement that the meeting tackled cooperation in exchanging health data regarding the coronavirus.

According to Mujahid, the Egyptian minister showcased the vaccine production plan and export to African countries, with the assistance of the Egyptian Unified Procurement Authority (UPA).

The Health Ministry said that 606 new coronavirus cases have been detected, upping the total number of confirmed infections since the outbreak of the disease in the country to 275,010.

Further, 32 patients have died from the virus, the ministry said, raising the death toll to 15,723.



US Links Ankara-Damascus Normalization to Political Solution in Syria

Meeting between Erdogan and Assad in 2010 (Archive)
Meeting between Erdogan and Assad in 2010 (Archive)
TT

US Links Ankara-Damascus Normalization to Political Solution in Syria

Meeting between Erdogan and Assad in 2010 (Archive)
Meeting between Erdogan and Assad in 2010 (Archive)

Recent statements by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his willingness to meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to normalize relations between the two countries have sparked mixed reactions.
While the Syrian opposition sees the possibility of such a meeting despite the challenges, Damascus views the statements as a political maneuver by the Turks. Meanwhile, the United States has tied the normalization process to achieving a political solution in Syria based on UN Security Council Resolution 2254, issued in 2015.
Turkish media reported on Thursday that a US administration official, who was not named, confirmed that Washington is against normalizing relations with the Syrian regime under Assad. He emphasized that Washington cannot accept normalizing ties with Damascus without progress toward a political solution that ends the conflicts in Syria.
Meanwhile, the head of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces, Hadi al-Bahra, stated that a meeting between Assad and Erdogan is possible despite the obstacles. In a statement to Reuters on Thursday, Bahra said the meeting is feasible, even though Ankara is fully aware that the Assad regime cannot currently meet its demands and understands the regime’s limitations.
Bahra pointed out that the UN-led political process remains frozen and that he had briefed US and Western officials on the latest developments in the Syrian file. On Saturday, Bahra participated in a consultative meeting in Ankara with the Syrian Negotiation Commission, along with a high-level delegation from the US State Department, during which they exchanged views on the political solution and the need to establish binding mechanisms for implementing international resolutions related to the Syrian issue.
On the other side, Assad’s special advisor, Bouthaina Shaaban, dismissed Erdogan’s announcement that Ankara is awaiting a response from Damascus regarding his meeting with Assad for normalization as another political maneuver with ulterior motives.
Shaaban, speaking during a lecture at the Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was reported by Turkish media on Thursday, stated that any rapprochement between the two countries is contingent on its withdrawal of forces from Syrian territory.