The Health Ministry reported 2,194 new covid-19 infections yesterday, down from 2,272 the day before. Officials have previously guided to expect the current wave of the pandemic to peak by mid-month. Egypt has now disclosed a total of 444,117 confirmed cases of covid-19. The ministry also reported 60 new deaths, bringing the country’s total death toll to 23,053.

The vaccine tally: 27,512,454 people are now fully vaccinated against the virus, while some 10.7 mn people have received only their first shots and 664,713 people have received booster shots.

Egypt could start producing Sputnik V vaccines this spring, Russian Ambassador to Egypt Georgy Borisenko told Russia’s state-owned Sputnik News yesterday. The transfer of technology is “almost complete,” said Borisenko, adding that local drugmaker Minapharm is currently producing trial batches. Minapharm last year signed an agreement with Russian sovereign wealth fund RDI to manufacture some 40 mn doses per year of the vaccine, which had been scheduled to roll out in 3Q2021. Egypt has been producing China’s Sinovac covid vaccine since July last year.