WHO says the new strain of coronavirus has not been reported in Egypt

The new strain of the coronavirus has not been reported in Egypt, the regional office of the World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed on Wednesday.

There are various countries — including Spain, Finland, and Sweden — that have recently reported infections from the new strain, which was first detected in the UK earlier this month.

Egypt is currently facing the second wave of the pandemic, witnessing a rebound of infections per day since November.

On Wednesday, Egypt reported 1,411 new coronavirus infections, the highest daily rise in almost five months, bringing the total number of cases to 136,644, according to a health ministry statement. This is the seventh day in a row for Egypt to record daily coronavirus cases above the 1000-case threshold.