The Health Ministry reported 996 new covid-19 infections yesterday, up from 970 the day before. Egypt has now disclosed a total of 152,719 confirmed cases of covid-19. The ministry also reported 58 new deaths, bringing the country’s total death toll to 8,362.

Six more doctors lose their lives to covid: Radiologist Mona Abdel Wahed, pediatricians Faisal Youssef, Ahmed El Refai, and Hassan Youssef, clinical pathology professor Hala Abaza, and cardiologist Azza Ibrahim were the latest to die from covid-19. The total number of physicians that have died of the illness has now reached 309 — including 31 in the first 10 days of 2021, the Medical Syndicate said.

Heading to the US of A? You’ll need to show your airline a negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours of flying as of 26 January under a decision from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The order expands an earlier decision to test passengers returning from the UK following the discovery of a more infectious strain of covid-19. Airline crew, military personnel, and children below the age of 2 will be exempt.

China’s Sinovac vaccine has fallen short of its competitors, only showing 50% effective in its most recent clinical trials in Brazil, according to the country’s state owned research center, the Butantan Institute. The biological research center has walked back its initial estimates claiming that the Chinese CoronaVac vaccine (not to be mistaken with the Sinopharm jab which Egypt is purchasing) would be at least 78% effective in preventing mild infections down to 50.4%, just above the minimum requirement for a vaccine to be considered viable.