Egypt to Receive New Batches of Pfizer Covid Vaccines

Archive photo of Egypt receiving a Covid vaccine shipment. (Egypt Health Ministry)
Archive photo of Egypt receiving a Covid vaccine shipment. (Egypt Health Ministry)
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Egypt to Receive New Batches of Pfizer Covid Vaccines

Archive photo of Egypt receiving a Covid vaccine shipment. (Egypt Health Ministry)
Archive photo of Egypt receiving a Covid vaccine shipment. (Egypt Health Ministry)

Health Ministry Spokesman Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said Egypt is set to receive a new shipment containing 2,158,650 doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine.

In statements to the MENA news agency on Saturday, the spokesman added that the shipment is part of the state’s plan to provide various kinds of vaccines to citizens.

The Health Ministry confirmed 2,053 new coronavirus cases, upping the total since the outbreak in the country began to 465,423.

Fifty-two people died from the virus over the past 24 hours, raising the toll to 23,632. The number of recovered cases reached 397,218.

Abdel Ghaffar revealed that about 67,744,500 first and second vaccine shots have so far been administered and about 73 million doses are available.

He said the pandemic situation in the country is stable, adding that there is no need to prepare more isolation hospitals. He stressed that receiving the vaccine would guarantee a decline in infections.

He urged people to sign up to receive the third vaccine shot.

Moreover, he called on parents to register their children to receive the jab as the virus is now infecting all age groups.



France to Host Lebanon Aid Conference, Macron Says

France's President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during the closing session of the 19th Summit of the Francophonie at the Grand Palais in Paris, on October 5, 2024. (AFP)
France's President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during the closing session of the 19th Summit of the Francophonie at the Grand Palais in Paris, on October 5, 2024. (AFP)
TT

France to Host Lebanon Aid Conference, Macron Says

France's President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during the closing session of the 19th Summit of the Francophonie at the Grand Palais in Paris, on October 5, 2024. (AFP)
France's President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during the closing session of the 19th Summit of the Francophonie at the Grand Palais in Paris, on October 5, 2024. (AFP)

France will host an international conference this month to help drum up humanitarian aid for Lebanon and strengthen security in the southern part of the country, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday.

"We will hold in the next few weeks a conference to provide humanitarian aid, support the international community and support the Lebanese armed forces boost security, especially in southern Lebanon," Macron said after a meeting of French speaking countries in Paris.

Israel has begun an intense bombing campaign in Lebanon and sent troops across the border in recent weeks after nearly a year of exchanging fire with Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

Fighting had previously been mostly limited to the Israel-Lebanon border area, taking place in parallel to Israel's year-old war in Gaza against Palestinian group Hamas.  

Earlier, Macron said shipments of arms used in the conflict in Gaza should be stopped as part of a broader effort to find a political solution.  

France is not a major weapons provider for Israel, shipping military equipment worth 30 million euros ($33 million) last year, according to the defense ministry's annual arms exports report.  

"I think the priority today is to get back to a political solution (and) that arms used to fight in Gaza are halted. France doesn't ship any," Macron told France Inter radio.  

"Our priority now is to avoid escalation. The Lebanese people must not in turn be sacrificed, Lebanon cannot become another Gaza," he added.  

Macron's comments come as his Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot is on a four-day trip to the Middle East, wrapping up on Monday in Israel as Paris looks to play a role in reviving diplomatic efforts.