Egypt Prepares to Vaccinate Tourism Sector Workers with Booster Shots

 Egypt's Acting Minister of Health during a meeting to discuss the developments of the pandemic situation. (Egyptian government)
Egypt's Acting Minister of Health during a meeting to discuss the developments of the pandemic situation. (Egyptian government)
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Egypt Prepares to Vaccinate Tourism Sector Workers with Booster Shots

 Egypt's Acting Minister of Health during a meeting to discuss the developments of the pandemic situation. (Egyptian government)
Egypt's Acting Minister of Health during a meeting to discuss the developments of the pandemic situation. (Egyptian government)

The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and the acting Minister of Health and Population, Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar said all tourism sector workers must receive booster doses of the coronavirus vaccine.

This came during the minister’s meeting Saturday with officials and directors of the health directorates in the governorates.

The minister was briefed on the periodic reports on the progress of the vaccination process for targeted citizens of all age groups, as well as follow-up on the rates of visits to vaccination centers distributed throughout the country.

He also followed up on the plan to vaccinate the targeted students after obtaining their parents’ consents and before the beginning of the second school semester.

Abdel-Ghaffar noted that Beheira, Gharbia, and Giza governorates recorded the highest rates of vaccination for children from 12 to 18 years old.

The Health Ministry Egypt recorded 2,018 new cases over the past 24 hours, raising the total number of infections in the country to 421,478, including 354,300 recoveries.

Also, 44 patients have died from the virus, raising death toll to 22,566.



Hezbollah Urges Lebanese State to Push for Israel’s Pullout

A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) vehicle drives as residents who were displaced because of the hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel return to the Lebanese village of Khiam, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Karamallah Daher
A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) vehicle drives as residents who were displaced because of the hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel return to the Lebanese village of Khiam, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Karamallah Daher
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Hezbollah Urges Lebanese State to Push for Israel’s Pullout

A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) vehicle drives as residents who were displaced because of the hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel return to the Lebanese village of Khiam, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Karamallah Daher
A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) vehicle drives as residents who were displaced because of the hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel return to the Lebanese village of Khiam, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Karamallah Daher

Hezbollah said on Thursday that Israel has to completely withdraw from Lebanon as the 60-day period in a ceasefire deal comes to an end, adding that the Lebanese state should push for guarantee for the withdrawal.

The Iran-backed group also said in a statement that it was following developments and any breach to the agreement would not be accepted.

Israel and Hezbollah agreed in November to an American- and French-mediated ceasefire, bringing an end to more than a year of fighting. Under the deal, Israeli forces were to withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah forces were to withdraw from south of the Litani river over the 60-day period ending next Monday morning.

Hezbollah said in its statement that it was the Lebanese state’s responsibility to act and press the countries sponsoring the ceasefire agreement should Israel delay its military pullout from south Lebanon.

Caretaker National Defense Minister Maurice Sleem on Thursday met with acting Army Commander Major General Hassan Audi at his office in Yarzeh to discuss the situation in southern Lebanon and the implementation stages of the ceasefire arrangements.

Sleem reaffirmed Lebanon's firm position on the necessity of the Israeli troop withdrawal from the South in line with the ceasefire deadline of January 26.

Speaker Nabih Berri also discussed the matter with head of the Ceasefire Monitoring Committee, US General Jasper Jeffers, in Ain al-Tineh.

Discussions reportedly focused on developments on the Israeli withdrawal from remaining occupied territories in southern Lebanon, as well as Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement and UN Resolution 1701.