Egypt is seeing a rapidly increasing coronavirus infection rate with 22 new deaths reported by the Ministry of Health and Population earlier today. The ministry has also reported 260 new cases, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases registered in Egypt since the beginning of the outbreak to 5042.
According to an update by the ministry, 68 individuals were released from quarantine today after making a full recovery, bringing the total number of recoveries to 1304, with 1669 cases in total testing negative after initially being diagnosed with COVID-19.
359 people have died from the deadly virus since the beginning of the outbreak in Egypt, the ministry reports.
This comes shortly after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi issued a three-month extension of the state of emergency in Egypt yesterday, Ahram Online reports. The measure is reportedly aimed at enabling the government to contain the spread of coronavirus and the ensuing health crisis.
The decree, published in the gazette yesterday, extends the state of emergency “nationwide for three months as of 1:00 AM local time on Tuesday, April 28, 2020,” according to State Information Service. As per decree No. 168 of 2020, Egypt’s Armed Forces and police are empowered to take the measure they deem necessary “to confront terrorism and its funding resources and strengthen security across the country,” the announcement reads.
The law had been amended earlier this month, giving the president greater powers, including restricting the sale and possession of some goods and allocating the necessary resources to support medical research and taking the measures he or she sees fit to ensure the survival of Egypt’s healthcare system.
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