Egypt Registers Increase in Coronavirus Cases, Deaths

Vaccination booths at Anwar El-Sadat station via Egyptian Company for Metro Management and Operation Facebook Page
Vaccination booths at Anwar El-Sadat station via Egyptian Company for Metro Management and Operation Facebook Page
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Egypt Registers Increase in Coronavirus Cases, Deaths

Vaccination booths at Anwar El-Sadat station via Egyptian Company for Metro Management and Operation Facebook Page
Vaccination booths at Anwar El-Sadat station via Egyptian Company for Metro Management and Operation Facebook Page

Coronavirus-related cases and deaths increased in Egypt as health authorities affirmed that up to 41 million citizens received the COVID-19 vaccine.

Presidential Adviser for Health and Prevention Affairs Mohamed Awad Tag El-Din said on Wednesday that Egypt continues to suffer from the fourth wave of the virus.

He attached high importance to abiding by the health measures and responding to the vaccination campaigns.

Egypt reported 960 new coronavirus cases earlier on Wednesday, bringing the total number of infections to 346,808 since the outbreak began in February 2020.

The Health Ministry also reported 71 new COVID-19 deaths, raising death toll to 19,707. Meanwhile, the number of recoveries reached 289,533.

The total number of those who have received COVID-19 vaccines reached 41 million citizens so far, affirmed Health Ministry Spokesperson Hossam Abdel Ghaffar.

This number includes those who are fully vaccinated and those who received the first dose, he noted, adding that this number is expected to increase before the end of the year.

In the same context, Egypt's Health Ministry announced that the country has set up new vaccination centers at Cairo Metro stations to allow more people to take COVID-19 vaccines and ease pressure on medical centers.



Lebanon’s Berri: Resolution 1701 Stands Unchanged

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri meets with US envoy Amos Hochstein during his recent visit to Beirut (AFP)
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri meets with US envoy Amos Hochstein during his recent visit to Beirut (AFP)
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Lebanon’s Berri: Resolution 1701 Stands Unchanged

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri meets with US envoy Amos Hochstein during his recent visit to Beirut (AFP)
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri meets with US envoy Amos Hochstein during his recent visit to Beirut (AFP)

Lebanon is monitoring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s response to US President Joe Biden’s push for a ceasefire in southern Lebanon.

Biden has sent advisors Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk to Tel Aviv to discuss the matter with Netanyahu, marking what Lebanese officials see as the last chance for progress before the US presidential election on Nov. 5.

Lebanese leaders, including Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati, are cautious about predicting results.

Mikati did not comment after his recent meetings with US advisors.

However, Berri highlighted Lebanon’s prior agreement with Hochstein to a ceasefire, deploying the Lebanese army in the south, and enforcing UN Resolution 1701.

Berri reaffirmed that Lebanon won’t alter these terms, saying, “What’s agreed is agreed; Resolution 1701 stands unchanged.”

The speaker clarified that Lebanon has fulfilled its commitments and is now waiting for Netanyahu’s response, noting that Lebanon is ready to implement the ceasefire if Hochstein can secure Netanyahu’s agreement.

“The ball is now in Netanyahu’s court,” Berri said, pointing out that Netanyahu has previously agreed to and then withdrawn from ceasefire deals.

According to sources, Hezbollah is fully behind Berri’s mandate for a ceasefire.

Hezbollah’s newly appointed Secretary-General, Sheikh Naim Qassem, recently confirmed the party’s support.

Qassem is closely following developments with the party’s military leadership, while Hezbollah’s MPs continue discussions with other blocs to clarify their position.

Lebanese sources stressed that reaching a ceasefire is critical and must happen as soon as possible, asserting that Netanyahu should not leverage the situation in Gaza as a pretext to avoid a southern ceasefire.

As Biden’s envoys prepare to meet with Netanyahu, Lebanese officials remain focused on whether this effort will result in an agreement.

The ongoing clashes near the southern Lebanese town of Khiam, where Hezbollah is actively resisting Israeli advances, have intensified the situation, making the outcome of these discussions crucial.