Egypt’s Health Ministry on Wednesday confirmed 49 new coronavirus cases, bringing the country’s total number of confirmed cases up to 283,862.
The total number of COVID-19-related deaths has now reached 16,465 nationwide, after the ministry announced eight deaths.
And 801 patients were discharged from quarantine at isolation hospitals, raising Egypt’s total number of fully-recovered cases to 225,869.
Egypt’s Supreme Committee for the Management of Coronavirus Crisis decided in June to lift some COVID-19 restrictions, including a nine pm business curfew, that have been in place since early May.
The committee, headed by Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, agreed that restaurants, cafes, shops, and malls may return to summer working hours starting June. 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 close for two weeks, and repeat violators will be shut down for a month, the committee warned.
Furthermore, restaurants and cafes may not serve shisha (hookah), religious celebrations are banned, and weddings must be held in open areas.
Madbouly announced at the beginning of June that 2.5 million citizens have received a vaccine against COVID-19, out of Egypt’s population of 104 million.
The Egyptian Authority for Unified Procurement, Supply, Medical Supply and Medical Technology Administration (UPA) announced in mid-June that it has secured over 46 million COVID-19 doses during the fiscal year 2020/2021.
Egypt’s Prime Minister added that Egypt has also produced one million doses of coronavirus vaccines at state-owned Vacsera thus far.
The country aims to vaccinate 40 percent of its citizens by the end of 2021.
