Egypt to require virus vaccinations for civil servants

Egypt's government says it will require public servants to have a vaccination certificate or show a weekly negative COVID-19 test before entering their workplaces

CAIRO -- Egypt's government will soon require public servants to have a vaccination certificate or show a weekly negative COVID-19 test before entering their workplaces. The mandate is an attempt to rapidly boost the country's vaccination rate of roughly 14% as it faces rising daily case numbers.

The new measures, announced late Sunday, will apply starting Nov. 15 to the country's some 6 million government employees. They also require members of the public to show proof of vaccination to enter government buildings starting Dec. 1.

Egypt's government hopes to encourage people to get vaccinations, as the country of over 100 million people has seen a rising daily number of cases in recent weeks.

President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi has said he hopes to vaccinate 30% to 35% of the population by the end of the year. Earlier this month, El-Sissi's health adviser Awad Taj el-Din said more than 14 million people have been fully vaccinated.