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Egypt Begins Issuing Covid Vaccination Certificates

Egypt begins issuing cerificates for people vaccinated against the coronavirus. (Health Ministry via Facebook)
Egypt begins issuing cerificates for people vaccinated against the coronavirus. (Health Ministry via Facebook)
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Egypt Begins Issuing Covid Vaccination Certificates

Egypt begins issuing cerificates for people vaccinated against the coronavirus. (Health Ministry via Facebook)
Egypt begins issuing cerificates for people vaccinated against the coronavirus. (Health Ministry via Facebook)

The Health Ministry in Egypt has kicked off the issuance of certificates for people who have received the coronavirus vaccine.

Egypt’s Health Minister Hala Zayed said on Saturday that 126 centers nationwide have started to issue certificates for people who wish to document that they were vaccinated against the virus.

Health Ministry Spokesperson Khaled Megahed explained that the certificates are secured by Egypt's recently inaugurated Secured and Smart Documents Complex and have QR codes, which can easily be verified at airports worldwide.

When scanning the QR code via a mobile phone, the certificate holder’s information will appear, Megahed added.

He stated that the Egypt Health Passport application is being finalized in two versions for Android and iPhone users to serve as an electronic health passport that can be used at international airports by showing the vaccination status.

It also shows the vaccination status through a traffic light color system of red if the person did not receive the vaccine, yellow if the person received a first dose, and green if the person received two shots.

Authorities expect to administer 148.2 million Covid-19 vaccine shots between August and until the end of the years. The doses will be enough to inoculate 83.7 million people, said health authorities.

The Health Ministry urges people to book an appointment to get the vaccine through the dedicated website.

Egypt has confirmed 284,215 infections, 16,518 deaths and 229,712 recoveries. A total of 45 new coronavirus cases and four deaths were reported on Friday.

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Fishers at a Lebanese Port Hope Ceasefire with Israel Means Normal Life is Returning

Most of the 700 fishers who work on the 270 boats at the Tyre port have not sailed out of concern since the Israeli army in October barred any boats from an area 50 kilometers from the order. (AP)
Most of the 700 fishers who work on the 270 boats at the Tyre port have not sailed out of concern since the Israeli army in October barred any boats from an area 50 kilometers from the order. (AP)
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Fishers at a Lebanese Port Hope Ceasefire with Israel Means Normal Life is Returning

Most of the 700 fishers who work on the 270 boats at the Tyre port have not sailed out of concern since the Israeli army in October barred any boats from an area 50 kilometers from the order. (AP)
Most of the 700 fishers who work on the 270 boats at the Tyre port have not sailed out of concern since the Israeli army in October barred any boats from an area 50 kilometers from the order. (AP)

The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah brought hope for normality back to many in southern Lebanon on Friday, including fishermen who have long launched their single-engine wooden boats into the Mediterranean at dawn.
During the last two months of its year fighting Hezbollah, Israel imposed a siege on southern Lebanon that kept hundreds of fishers at this ancient Phoenician port on shore, upending their lives and the industry.
While less important than destruction and displacement, the port siege cut many people off from the key ingredients for traditional Lebanese dishes like sayadiyeh — fish and rice boiled in fish sauce — or fried and grilled fish eaten with dips such as hummus and tabbouleh or fattoush salads.
The loss of fish damaged a deep association with home, but now the possibility of renewed Lebanese fishing on the country's southern coast is helping fuel hope for a brighter future.
On Friday, a few boats went out close to the shore as fishers in the port worked on the nets of small boats painted white, blue or red.
Hussein Sukmani, 55, said Friday that he was considering going to sea in coming days but was waiting to see how things unfold.
He hasn't dared set sail since the Israel-Hezbollah war dramatically intensified on Sept. 23. “They were days of fear and horror,” he said. "They were the most difficult days of our lives.”
A week ago, a drone strike killed two young fishers in the city as they prepared their nets on the coast, and some fishermen said Friday that the Lebanese army told them that if they headed out it would be at their own risk .
Among those who sailed near the coast on Friday was Walid Darwish, who returned to the port with two plastic boxes filled with mullet.
“Today is the first time that we sail,” Darwish said, adding that fishers had missed the prime season in October and November.
“We lost it,” he said.
The Israeli army barred any boats from an area 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the border in October and has not said whether the warning is still in effect.
Sukmani said that most of the 700 fishers who work on the 270 boats at the port have not sailed out of concern since then.
The area around the port is a predominantly Christian neighborhood that has been spared much of the airstrikes on other parts of Tyre that leveled buildings in this city.
In peaceful times, the port is a major tourist attraction, beloved by Lebanese and foreigners who come for the views, the restaurants and the beaches.
On Friday, Mohammed Hammoud walked along the coast of Tyre carrying his fishing rod.
“It is enough that someone is able to stand in this beautiful area,” he said, pointing to the white sands. “Fishing is everything for me,” added Hammoud, who went to fish several times in the area north of the city of Sidon that was not part of the siege.
In the old market of Tyre, Gilbert Spiridon watched from inside his shop as people came to buy freshly brought fish. Before the war, it took hours to sell all his fish to people from around Lebanon.
“All I wish is that the war has ended and we are back on track to the old good days,” he said.