Egypt is expected to produce its first vial of locally manufactured Sinovac vaccine this week, Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly said in a statement. Health Minister Hala Zayed said earlier that Vacsera will have produced its first batch of the Chinese vaccine by 15 June, with the vaccines expected to be ready for dispatch to clinics in August.

The Health Ministry reported 711 new covid-19 infections yesterday, down from 733 the day before. Egypt has now disclosed a total of 272,491 confirmed cases of covid-19. The ministry also reported 35 new deaths, bringing the country’s total death toll to 15,582.

Travellers entering Japan from Egypt will be required to quarantine for six days in a government designated facility as of Monday, 14 June, as the Japanese government introduces a string of border control changes to contain the country’s epidemic ahead of the summer Olympics next month, according to a statement Friday. After obtaining negative covid-19 test results on the third and sixth days, individuals will then be required to observe an eight-day self-isolation period after entering the country.

The G7’s pledge to provide 1 bn vaccines for poorer nations by the end of 2022 does not go far enough, some campaigners have said, with the group of wealthy western nations having already collectively acquired more than 2.5 bn excess vaccines, the Financial Times reports. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres also added his voice, saying the G7 needed to adopt “a global vaccination plan” with “the priorities of a war economy” to get vaccines to those who need them most as soon as possible.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) believes a global agreement to accelerate the supply of jabs to developing countries is in reach despite there not much progress over proposals to temporarily waive IP rights on vaccines, boss Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said yesterday, according to Reuters. She said she would like to see progress on an IP waiver by next month. While the US backs the waiver, European countries, Canada and Switzerland still oppose it.

BioNTech is coming to Africa … by 2025: BioNTech will establish vaccine production facilities in Africa in the next four years in collaboration with the EU, CEO Ugur Sahin told the Financial Times. The decision comes as the pharma company aims to expand into Africa — which imports 99% of its vaccines — and provide mRNA jabs for diseases beyond covid-19. The potential BioNTech facilities will produce treatments at rates suitable for middle and low-income countries, Sahin said.