Egypt on Monday announced that it will set up new COVID-19 inoculation sites inside metro and train stations, and near mosques and churches to speed up the country’s vaccination rate.
The government said the number of patients entering isolation hospitals is declining, while severe infections are also dropping compared to the three previous COVID-19 waves that struck the country.
Cabinet spokesperson Nader Saad said the health sector is facing less pressure during the pandemic’s fourth wave mainly because of the expanded vaccination campaign, saying the rate of coronavirus patients at Egyptian isolation hospitals is at 25 percent.
The spokesperson said during a television interview that starting December, students will not be allowed to enter universities unless they show proof that they have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
He stressed that starting November 15, the same decision will be applied to school employees and teachers.
Saad also noted that 31.5 million jabs have been administrated out of a total of 60 million doses that Egypt has received.
“Some 16 million have taken the first dose, nine million are fully vaccinated and six million have taken a jab through the mobile vaccination centers,” the spokesperson explained.
He said that in order to get more people inoculated, citizens will be able to visit any vaccination center and take the vaccine without prior registration, adding that new vaccination sites will be set up in facilities such as courts, and metro and train stations.
The Heath Ministry recorded 871 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, upping the total number of confirmed infections since the outbreak began in the country to 318,456.
The Ministry said 44 patients have died from the disease, raising the death toll to 17,970, while 633 patients were discharged from isolation hospitals after receiving necessary medical care, taking the number of recovered cases to 268,843.
