The Health Ministry reported 541 new covid-19 infections yesterday, up from 533 the day before. Egypt has now disclosed a total of 166,492 confirmed cases of covid-19. The ministry also reported 44 new deaths, bringing the country’s total death toll to 9,360. We now have a total of 130,107 confirmed cases that have fully recovered.

DONATIONS- The Financial Regulatory Authority will donate EGP 250 mn to help fund Egypt’s vaccination program, according to a statement (pdf). The FRA will contribute to the Tahya Misr Fund, which is covering the cost of vaccines for healthcare workers, low-income senior citizens, and other vulnerable people.

Emaar Misr is also donating EGP 30 mn to our vaccination program through the Tahya Misr Fund after the two sides signed a cooperation protocol earlier this week, according to Al Mal.

Lower income countries are struggling to get their hands on life-saving oxygen supplies as global demand for oxygen tanks increased by around a fifth over the past three months, according to data from the Covid-19 Oxygen Needs Tracker. With vaccine rollouts likely to take many months longer in lower-income countries, ensuring oxygen needs are met is the most effective way to limit loss of life, experts say. Egypt is estimated to be in need of 30k cbm of oxygen per day, while larger countries like Brazil would need over 2.3 mn cbm daily. Four covid-19 patients died last month from an alleged oxygen shortage at a public hospital in Sharqia.

India’s export of locally made doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is helping the country boost bilateral ties and get a leg up on China, the Financial Times suggests.

Racial inequality affects the vaccine rollout in the US: Almost half of those to receive at least one vaccine dose in New York were white, despite white people comprising only a third of the city’s population, vaccination data from New York City showed.