Egypt has administered more than 23.3 million COVID-19 vaccine shots out of over 60 million doses delivered to the country so far, Health Minister Hala Zayed told a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
Minister Zayed explained that the total administered doses include 15.1 million initial doses and 8.2 million second doses since the start of the country's vaccination campaign earlier this year.
Vaccination providers have inoculated around 3.3 million public employees, in addition to 2.1 million in the pre-university education sector, and 1 million in the university sector.
The minister said that all but 1.2 million eligible registered employees and students at educational institutions have been inoculated, and that the ministry aims to vaccinate the remaining employees and students within one week.
The government has mandated coronavirus vaccination for all public employees, in addition to teaching staff, employees, and workers, as well as students who are 18 years or older at lower and higher education institutions.
Unvaccinated workers and students are not allowed into workplaces, schools, and universities, starting Saturday, unless they are jabbed with at least one dose of a vaccine or provide proof of negative COVID-19 testing more than once a week.
Also, public employees who are not vaccinated must provide proof of negative COVID-19 testing more than once a week at their expense or they will not be allowed into workplaces as of 22 November, according to a government decree.
As the country seeks to ramp vaccinations, Zayed said the health ministry is planning to increase the number of the vaccination centres from 1,100 to 2,002 by installing new camps at all public hospitals countrywide.
Source: Al-Ahram Online
