The acceleration of daily covid-19 cases and prospects for Egypt’s vaccination campaign led the conversation on the airwaves last night. The case and death tallies are just the figures the Health Ministry is informed of, stressed Masaa DMC’s Eman El Hosary, who reminded viewers that the official figures are meant to act as “guidelines” and that officials have previously said the real figures are likely ten- or twentyfold (watch, runtime: 1:33).

We should be getting 20 mn doses of whichever vaccine the government’s scientific committees decide on sometime in 1Q2021, WHO Medical Officer Amgad Elkholy told Kelma Akhira’s Lamees El Hadidi (watch, runtime: 3:14). El Hekaya’s Amr Adib, meanwhile, chewed over some people’s hesitation to take the vaccine in Egypt and abroad (watch, runtime: 2:03).

The Tourism Ministry’s decision to ban New Years celebrations is in the tourism industry’s long-term interest, since the sector will not stage a real recovery until covid-19 is fully under control, Chairman of the Red Sea Hotels Association Alaa Akel told Kelma Akhira’s Lamees El Hadidi (watch, runtime: 6:19)

Also on the airwaves last night:

• Egypt’s U-20 football team has been evacuated from Tunisia and is back in Cairo after at least 17 members of the team tested positive for covid-19 last week, Sports Minister Ashraf Sobhy said (Amr Adib on El Hekaya | watch, runtime: 14:08).
• The European Parliament’s report on Egypt’s human rights record relied on inaccurate and incomplete information, leading to a biased final product, said Egyptian Organization for Human Rights Secretary General Essam Shiha (Lobna Assal on Al Hayah Al Youm | watch, runtime: 5:14).