Egypt reports below 1,000 coronavirus cases since May – ministry

Egypt recorded below 1,000 daily coronavirus cases for first time since late May, announced health ministry on Monday.

Figures show 969 people nationwide have tested positive for the highly contagious virus over the past 24 hours while 79 others lost their lives, according to Ahram Online.

Monday’s figures bring the total number of confirmed cases since the outbreak in mid-February to 76,222 and the death toll to 3,422.

Egypt first recorded more than 1,000 cases a day on 28 May (1,127 cases) along with 29 fatalities.

Throughout March, April and May the number of daily cases had ranged between 16 and 900.

The health ministry said on Monday that 512 patients were discharged after recovering from the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries to 21,238.

Since June, Egypt has moved towards a gradual reopening of its economy as part of a plan to “coexist” with the virus.

The reopening comes amid expectations of recording lower numbers of cases by the second half of July.

Egypt’s higher education and scientific research minister had earlier said the pandemic is expected to subside as of the third week of July.

Egypt’s first coronavrius case was detected in mid-February while it took 50 days to reach 1,000 cases on 4 April, 38 days to hit the 10,000 mark on 12 May, and 16 days to hit 20,000 cases on 28 May.

As of June, the figures started to increase swiftly, moving to 30,000 cases by 5 June, and then hitting the 40,000-case mark seven days later on 13 June. Five days later, on 18 June, the country reached 50,000 cases, and seven days later it reached 60,000 cases.