Egypt’s Health Ministry on Monday confirmed 533 new coronavirus cases, bringing the country’s total number of confirmed cases up to 165,951, ministry spokesperson Khaled Megahed announced.
The total number of COVID-19-related deaths has now reached 9,316 nationwide, after the ministry announced 53 deaths.
And 343 patients were discharged from quarantine at isolation hospitals, raising Egypt’s total number of fully-recovered cases to 129,636.
Egypt’s government imposed in March strict precautionary measures to limit the outbreak of coronavirus, which included setting curfews, banning large gatherings, and closing restaurants, theaters, and cinemas.
The measures also include a mask mandate that applies to mass transportation and any public indoor space.
The country has officially entered the second wave of the pandemic, after cases rose steadily throughout November and December.
The second wave hit its peak on December 30, when the health ministry reported 1,411 new cases. Since then, the case count has plunged.
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.
Egypt launched its vaccination campaign on January 24, however, officials are predicting a slow rollout as the country waits for the arrival of vaccine orders.
The ministry is currently using China’s Sinopharm vaccine and expects to receive doses of the UK’s AstraOxford vaccine in the near future.
