Egypt sees daily record of 510 COVID-19 infections

Cairo, May 18 (IANS) Egypt witnessed a daily record of 510 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total cases registered in the country to 12,229.

Meanwhile, 18 patients died from the novel coronavirus in Egypt, raising the death toll to 630, Egyptian Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said in a statement on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The country also saw a new record of daily recoveries, as 222 patients were completely cured and discharged from hospitals on Sunday, increasing the total recoveries to 3,172, according to the statement.

Megahed underlined Egypt’s close cooperation and coordination with the World Health Organization regarding COVID-19 case detection and necessary medical care.

The populous country is currently implementing a nationwide nine-hour nighttime curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time during the ongoing Muslim holy month of Ramadan that ends on May 23.

From May 24, which marks the beginning of the post-Ramadan Eid al-Fitr holiday, the evening curfew will be 13 hours, instead of nine, for six days to maintain social distancing and avoid gatherings amid the growth in the COVID-19 cases.

During the Islamic feast, all malls, shops, restaurants, public parks and beaches will be closed and all public means of transport will be suspended, said Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly at a press conference earlier in the day.

After the six days, from May 30, the curfew will be reduced from 13 to 10 hours, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time, for two weeks, said the prime minister.

The cabinet then will consider easing restrictions and gradually resuming several suspended activities from mid-June. from mid-June.

The Egyptian government has recently started to ease restrictions and gradually reopened services and offices that have been halted since mid-March amid a “coexistence plan” to maintain anti-coronavirus precautionary measures while resuming services, businesses and economic activities.

–IANS

rt/