Egypt’s Health Ministry on Monday confirmed 117 new coronavirus cases, bringing the country’s total number of confirmed cases up to 283,102.
The total number of COVID-19-related deaths has now reached 16,396 nationwide, after the ministry announced 13 deaths.
And 656 patients were discharged from quarantine at isolation hospitals, raising Egypt’s total number of fully-recovered cases to 218,412.
Cases in the country have witnessed a sharp decline since the end of May.
Egypt’s Supreme Committee for the Management of Coronavirus Crisis decided in June to lift some COVID-19 restrictions, including a 9 pm business curfew.
The committee, headed by Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, agreed that restaurants, cafes, shops, and malls may return to summer working hours. Businesses may now also operate at 75 percent capacity.
However, there are still rules in place. Any facility that violates summer hours will receive a fine and be subject to closing for two weeks, and repeat violators will be shut down for a month, the committee warned.
Moreover, serving shisha (hookah) in public at cafes and restaurants is still banned.
Egypt’s vaccination campaign, which began in January, has vaccinated approximately 2.5 million people, according to the Health Ministry. The ministry also announced on Sunday that the country will soon receive its first doses of the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
