Egypt Begins Issuing Covid Vaccination Certificates

Egypt begins issuing cerificates for people vaccinated against the coronavirus. (Health Ministry via Facebook)
Egypt begins issuing cerificates for people vaccinated against the coronavirus. (Health Ministry via Facebook)
TT

Egypt Begins Issuing Covid Vaccination Certificates

Egypt begins issuing cerificates for people vaccinated against the coronavirus. (Health Ministry via Facebook)
Egypt begins issuing cerificates for people vaccinated against the coronavirus. (Health Ministry via Facebook)

The Health Ministry in Egypt has kicked off the issuance of certificates for people who have received the coronavirus vaccine.

Egypt’s Health Minister Hala Zayed said on Saturday that 126 centers nationwide have started to issue certificates for people who wish to document that they were vaccinated against the virus.

Health Ministry Spokesperson Khaled Megahed explained that the certificates are secured by Egypt's recently inaugurated Secured and Smart Documents Complex and have QR codes, which can easily be verified at airports worldwide.

When scanning the QR code via a mobile phone, the certificate holder’s information will appear, Megahed added.

He stated that the Egypt Health Passport application is being finalized in two versions for Android and iPhone users to serve as an electronic health passport that can be used at international airports by showing the vaccination status.

It also shows the vaccination status through a traffic light color system of red if the person did not receive the vaccine, yellow if the person received a first dose, and green if the person received two shots.

Authorities expect to administer 148.2 million Covid-19 vaccine shots between August and until the end of the years. The doses will be enough to inoculate 83.7 million people, said health authorities.

The Health Ministry urges people to book an appointment to get the vaccine through the dedicated website.

Egypt has confirmed 284,215 infections, 16,518 deaths and 229,712 recoveries. A total of 45 new coronavirus cases and four deaths were reported on Friday.



Palestinian Health Ministry Says One Dead in Israel West Bank Raid

Demonstrators clash with Palestinian security forces in Nablus in the West Bank (File photo/Reuters)
Demonstrators clash with Palestinian security forces in Nablus in the West Bank (File photo/Reuters)
TT

Palestinian Health Ministry Says One Dead in Israel West Bank Raid

Demonstrators clash with Palestinian security forces in Nablus in the West Bank (File photo/Reuters)
Demonstrators clash with Palestinian security forces in Nablus in the West Bank (File photo/Reuters)

The health ministry in the occupied West Bank said one person was killed and nine injured in an Israeli raid on a refugee camp, with the Israeli military saying Saturday it had opened fire at "terrorists".

An 18-year-old man, Muhammad Medhat Amin Amer, "was killed by bullets from the (Israeli) occupation in the Balata camp" in the territory's north, the Palestinian health ministry said in a late-night statement, adding that nine people were injured, "four of whom are in critical condition".

According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, the raid began on Friday night and triggered violent clashes, AFP reported.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israeli troops entered the camp from the Awarta checkpoint and "deployed snipers on the rooftops of surrounding buildings".

In a statement on Saturday, the Israeli military said that during the "counterterrorism" operation, "terrorists placed explosives in the area in order to harm (military) soldiers, hurled explosives, molotov cocktails, and rocks and shot fireworks at the forces".

"The forces fired toward the terrorists in order to remove the threat. Hits were identified," the statement said.

Violence in the West Bank has intensified since war broke out in the Gaza Strip after Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

Since then, at least 815 Palestinians have been killed in the territory by Israeli troops or settlers, according to the Palestinian health ministry in Ramallah.

In the same period, Palestinian attacks in the West Bank have killed at least 25 Israelis, according to official Israeli figures.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since conquering it in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.