Egypt’s Health Ministry on Sunday confirmed 1,309 new coronavirus cases and 64 virus-related deaths.
The ministry also announced 418 recovered cases.
Egypt now has a total of 142,187 reported cases, 7,805 deaths, and 113,898 recovered cases.
The country has officially entered the second wave of the pandemic, after cases rose steadily throughout November and December.
Government officials continue to urge the public to adhere to precautionary measures against the virus, and the Egyptian Cabinet has called on authorities to strictly enforce the country’s mask mandate, which applies to all public transportation and indoor public spaces.
The education and higher education ministries ordered schools and universities to switch back to online learning as of January 2 due to the surge in cases.
In-person classes are expected to resume February 10.
Additionally, the Egyptian government and transportation authorities launched on Sunday a campaign to issue an immediate fine of LE50 to all unmasked shoppers and public transit riders.
Restaurants and cafes that break the government’s 50 percent occupancy limit will also receive an immediate fine of LE4,000 and be subject to a one-week closure.
A viral video showing medical staff struggling to keep COVID-19 patients alive in a public Egyptian hospital stirred controversy across the country on Sunday, with many social media users asserting that hospitals were low on oxygen tanks.
The country’s Health Ministry quickly denied the allegations, and local health authorities launched an investigation into the deaths.
