Egypt’s Health Ministry on Thursday confirmed 1,193 new coronavirus cases, 61 deaths, and 801 recovered cases.
The country has now reported a total of 242,120 cases, 14,150 deaths, and 197,261 recovered cases.
In response to climbing case numbers, the Egyptian cabinet on Wednesday announced that from May 6 to May 21, all restaurants, cafés, shops, and malls must close at 9 pm to prevent further spread of the virus.
Furthermore, all public beaches and parks will be closed during the five-day Eid al-Fitr holiday, which begins April 12.
Cairo, Giza, Fayoum, Minya, and Sohag are the five governorates with the highest infection rates, according to Health Minister Hala Zayed.
Despite the ministry reporting a 75.5 percent increase in recovery rates, doctors and officials have warned the public to abide by coronavirus precautionary measures, stating that social distancing is just as important as wearing a mask.
Egypt has banned Tahajjud prayers (night prayers) within mosques, their annexes, and their surroundings, only allowing Tarawih prayers.
The ministry’s vaccination campaign that began in January is still working to vaccinate medical staff, people over the age of 65, and those with chronic illnesses, but registration for the jab is open to all.
Egypt is currently using China’s Sinopharm vaccine and the UK’s AstraOxford vaccine, but will soon locally manufacture China’s Sinovac vaccine and Russia’s Sputnik-V.
