Egypt recorded 1,003 new coronavirus cases and 61 deaths on Tuesday, up from 991 cases and 58 deaths on Monday. This number is the first time Egypt’s infection with the virus had crossed the 1,000 mark since January 8, when it detected 1,001 infections.

Egyptian officials admit that the real numbers of people infected and deaths by coronavirus are much greater than the official figures announced.

On Monday, the Egyptian Medicines Authority announced the granting of an emergency licence to use the corona vaccine, produced by the Chinese company Sinovac, to prevent coronavirus.

Egypt has so far received shipments of the Sinopharm and AstraZeneca vaccines and said that it is “preparing to produce up to 80 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine locally.” It also signed an agreement to produce the Russian Sputnik V vaccine.