Egypt records 120 new coronavirus cases; death toll rises to 66

CAIRO, 3 April 2020: Egypt’s Ministry of Health recorded, Friday, 120 new positive cases for COVID-19 virus to have the number of the infected rising to 985, 216 of them recovered, and 66 died.

The newly detected cases, include 117 Egyptians and three foreigners, who either came from abroad or were in contact with other positive cases.

Spokesman for the Health Ministry Khaled Megahed said in a statement that the number of coronavirus patients who were retested negative for the virus reached 296.

Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli said on Thursday that the world has recorded a million COVID-19 cases. He added that the figures of people infected with coronavirus (COVID-19) in Egypt may increase during the next week, Madbouli noted, but they will still be within the middle safe range, as long as this increase is gradual.

He urged citizens inhabiting densely populated governorates to show further commitment to the preventive measures against the spread of the deadly virus.

Since mid-March, the Egyptian government has taken gradual steps in dealing with the coronavirus spread, starting with suspending schools and universities. It also suspended the international flights to mid-April.

Furthermore, a dusk-to-dawn curfew has been imposed, while all restaurants, cafes, cafeterias, casinos, night clubs, bars, shopping centers (malls), and other local shops shut down completely until April 14, 2020.

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Tuesday has praised the outcome of the measures taken by the state and called on citizens to stick to them.

"The so-far achieved results of the precautionary measures to confront coronavirus (COVID-19) spread in Egypt are good and reassuring," the president said.

“Therefore, I urge all of you to continue following and implementing these measures in order for all of us to go through this crisis and preserve the safety of our home and people.”