Registration of vaccination against coronavirus reaches 68K Egyptian citizens, vaccination within 72 hours

CAIRO - 1 March 2020: A source at the Ministry of Health revealed that 12 hours after announcing the opening of registration for the coronavirus vaccine, 45,000 citizens were registered, and the number has risen to 68,000 so far. There are offices in hospitals to record data.

The source explained that those incapable to register should call 15335 and sign up instead.

The source added that any citizen over the age of 18 has the right to register to obtain the vaccine, but the groups that come first are the elderly and those with chronic diseases, indicating there is a part in the registration site to know when and where the vaccine is obtained.

The source further pointed out that the site has been unaffected by the number of entries and that registration continues, stressing the applications are reviewed within 72 hours to inform applicants of the date of obtaining the vaccine, which happens within 72 hours in one of 40 medical centers for immunization.

"If two citizens of the elderly over 65 years old are registered to receive the vaccine, priority will be given to those suffering from chronic diseases," the source added, explaining that every three days priorities are being arranged at the site.

Additionally, the source revealed that the President directed that the highest priority be given to those on the waiting lists and those affiliated with the health insurance system, as the site began sending text messages to aid them to receive the vaccine.

He also stressed that within 72 hours, citizens registered at the site will begin receiving vaccination in 40 centers nationwide within a few days, saying, "We expect 8.6 million doses of vaccine to arrive in Egypt, of which 2 million doses are from AstraZeneca, and we expect another shipment of Sinopharma to arrive in a few days."

The Health Ministry announsed in a Sunday statement that 595 new coronavirus cases were detected, upping the total number of confirmed cases to 182,424.

Spokesman for the Health Ministry Khaled Megahed said 49 patients have died from the virus over the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to 10,688.

As many as 432 patients were discharged from isolation hospitals after receiving necessary medical care, taking the number of recovered cases to 140,892 so far, the spokesman said.