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Egyptian Government Affirms Surplus In COVID-19 Doses

Students wearing masks in a school in Cairo. (EPA)
Students wearing masks in a school in Cairo. (EPA)
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Egyptian Government Affirms Surplus In COVID-19 Doses

Students wearing masks in a school in Cairo. (EPA)
Students wearing masks in a school in Cairo. (EPA)

The Egyptian government has announced having a surplus of COVID-19 vaccine jabs, pledging to inoculate 40 percent of the citizens before the end of the year.

The Health Ministry reported 934 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, bringing the total to 340,269 since the outbreak of the pandemic.

The ministry added in its daily coronavirus briefing that 63 new deaths related to COVID-19 complications were recorded in the past 24 hours nationwide, raising the toll to 19,249.

Recoveries have risen to 284,993.

Dr. Mohamed Awad Taj El-Din, adviser to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for health affairs, said Egypt has reached the peak of its fourth COVID-19 wave, noting that the number of cases will begin to decline after a while.

In statements on Wednesday, Taj el-Din said the country is currently witnessing a spike in coronavirus cases, stressing that the rate of infections could only decrease if people adhered to the health preventive measures and received the vaccine.

He affirmed that the inoculation process has become a key precautionary measure.

Cabinet spokesperson Nader Saad for his part, said that starting from November 15, universities will not allow unvaccinated students to enter the campus or classrooms.

The state is keen to implement the decision to prevent employees from attending the workplace without a certificate proving they received the COVID-19 vaccine, Saad noted.

Starting from early December, unvaccinated citizens will not be allowed to enter government departments, he added.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Education for Teacher Affairs Dr. Reda Hegazy said 1.374 thousand teachers and administrators have been vaccinated so far across Egyptian governorates, constituting 86 percent of the education staff.

“The remaining 226,000 will receive the vaccine in the coming days,” he confirmed.

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Syria’s New Military Command Launches Security Operation around Tartous

Syrian opposition forces stop a vehicle as they form a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartous in western Syria on December 16, 2024. (AFP)
Syrian opposition forces stop a vehicle as they form a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartous in western Syria on December 16, 2024. (AFP)
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Syria’s New Military Command Launches Security Operation around Tartous

Syrian opposition forces stop a vehicle as they form a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartous in western Syria on December 16, 2024. (AFP)
Syrian opposition forces stop a vehicle as they form a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartous in western Syria on December 16, 2024. (AFP)

The new Syrian military leadership launched an operation on Thursday to pursue the remnants of ousted President Bashar al-Assad's administration in the countryside of Tartous province in western Syria, the state news agency (SANA) reported.

On Wednesday, clashes between the opposition factions who took over Syria and Assad supporter killed six fighters and wounded others, according to a British-based war monitor.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the fighters were killed while trying to arrest a former official in Assad's government, accused of issuing execution orders and arbitrary rulings against thousands of prisoners. The fighters were from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, which led the stunning offensive that toppled Assad earlier this month.

Syria’s transition has been surprisingly smooth but it’s only been a few weeks since Assad fled the country and his administration and forces melted away.

Since Assad’s fall, dozens of Syrians have been killed in acts of revenge, according to activists and monitors.

In the capital, Damascus, Alawite protesters scuffled with counter-protesters and gunshots were heard. The Associated Press could not confirm details of the shooting.

Alawite protests also took place along the coast of Syria, in the city of Homs and the Hama countryside. Some called for the release of soldiers from the former Syrian army now imprisoned by the HTS.

At least one protestor was killed and five were wounded in Homs by HTS forces suppressing the demonstration, said the Syrian Observatory. In response to the protests, HTS imposed a curfew from 6 pm until 8am.

The Alawite protests were apparently in part sparked by an online video showing the burning of an Alawite shrine. The interim authorities insisted the video was old and not a recent incident.

Sectarian violence has erupted in bursts since Assad's ouster but nothing close to the level feared after nearly 14 years of civil war that killed an estimated half-million people. The war fractured Syria, creating millions of refugees and displacing tens of thousands throughout the country.

This week, some Syrians who were forcibly displaced, started trickling home, trying to rebuild their lives. Shocked by the devastation, many found that little remains of their houses.

In the northwestern Idlib region, residents were repairing shops and sealing damaged windows on Tuesday, trying to bring back a sense of normalcy.

The city of Idlib and much of the surrounding province has for years been under control of the HTS, led by Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, once aligned with al-Qaeda, but has been the scene of relentless attacks by the government forces.

Hajjah Zakia Daemessaid, who was forcibly displaced during the war, said coming back to her house in the Idlib countryside was bittersweet.

“My husband and I spent 43 years of hard work saving money to build our home, only to find that all of it has gone to waste,” said the 62-year-old.

In the dusty neighborhoods, cars drove by with luggage strapped on top. People stood idly on the streets or sat in empty coffee shops.