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.



Australia Starts Evacuating Nationals from Lebanon via Cyprus

 Australian nationals evacuated from Lebanon, due to ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and the Israeli forces, arrive at Larnaca International Airport, in Larnaca, Cyprus, October 5, 2024. (Reuters)
Australian nationals evacuated from Lebanon, due to ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and the Israeli forces, arrive at Larnaca International Airport, in Larnaca, Cyprus, October 5, 2024. (Reuters)
TT

Australia Starts Evacuating Nationals from Lebanon via Cyprus

 Australian nationals evacuated from Lebanon, due to ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and the Israeli forces, arrive at Larnaca International Airport, in Larnaca, Cyprus, October 5, 2024. (Reuters)
Australian nationals evacuated from Lebanon, due to ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and the Israeli forces, arrive at Larnaca International Airport, in Larnaca, Cyprus, October 5, 2024. (Reuters)

Australia started evacuating its nationals from Lebanon via Cyprus on Saturday, in the first large-scale operation to get citizens out of the country amid an Israeli onslaught on Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Some 229 people arrived on the east Mediterranean island, which lies a 40-minute flight time from Beirut, on a commercial airline chartered by Australia. A second flight is scheduled later in the day.

More evacuation flights could be expected based on demand, Australian and Cypriot officials said.

At Cyprus's Larnaca airport, civilians of all ages transferred from the aircraft into a terminal and then escorted onto waiting coaches. Children helped themselves to red apples and water provided by Australian military staff.

"They are exhausted, exceptionally happy to be here but heartbroken because they left family behind," said Fiona McKergow, the Australian High Commissioner (Ambassador) to Cyprus.

More and more countries are using close hubs like Cyprus to assist in evacuations from Lebanon. Israel has sharply escalated attacks on Hezbollah in recent weeks, with a barrage of airstrikes and a ground operation in the south of the country, after nearly a year of lower-level cross-border conflict waged in parallel with Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.

In the past week, Cyprus assisted evacuations by China, Greece, Portugal and Slovakia. Britain and the United States have also moved personnel to Cyprus to assist in military evacuations, if necessary.

Cyprus had been used to evacuate close to 60,000 people from Lebanon in the last serious escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.

Some of those evacuated on Saturday said they did not think they would ever return to Lebanon.

"Never, ever. I was traumatized, my kids were traumatized. It's not a safe country, I won't be back," said Dana Hameh, 34.

She added: "I feel very sad leaving my country but I'm very happy to start a new life in Sydney. Life goes on. I wish the best for everyone."