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Workplaces in Egypt ban unvaccinated public sector employees

November 16, 2021 at 12:21 pm

Egyptians are tested for Covid-19 at a drive-through coronavirus-testing centre in Cairo, Egypt on 29 June 2020 [KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images]

Some workplaces in Egypt have started enforcing a ban on public sector employees from entering their offices if they have not had the coronavirus vaccination.

Students at public universities are also banned from campuses if they are not vaccinated.

According to Egypt’s acting health minister, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, over 14 million people have had one dose of the vaccine and almost 27 million have had two.

Cases have been rising since September when the country entered its fourth wave.

Despite this latest ban, which came into effect yesterday, the Egyptian government has been criticised for not imposing precautionary measures, for example mask wearing on public transport and in government buildings.

READ: HRW slams choice of Egypt as host of COP27

Shops have not been closed and there are no fines or penalties for people who do not adhere to the preventative measures.

Last week Egypt’s medical union announced that some 630 health care workers had died from coronavirus.

Egypt has recorded 19,567 deaths from coronavirus, but critics say the figures are likely to be much higher, as the country has been ranked fifth worldwide for underreporting coronavirus.

Also last week it was reported that intensive care departments across Egypt were at full capacity and that hospitals were scrambling for extra beds to try and meet the growing demand.

Again, the government has been held responsible for the shortage of beds, which medics say will put a strain on oxygen supplies and medicine.

Egypt’s healthcare system is on the verge of total collapse due to years of underfunding.