On Saturday, the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population announced the registration of 1,577 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number to 41,303 cases. These figures are the highest daily infection rates since coronavirus first appeared in Egypt. The total number of deaths reached 1,422 deaths after the ministry monitored 45 new deaths on Saturday, while 417 people recovered, bringing the number of people recovered to 11,108 cases.

The ministry’s spokesperson, Khaled Mujahid, explained that the number of cases whose laboratory analyses turned from positive to negative increased to 12,493 cases, including the 11,108 who have completely recovered. He added that 1,577 new cases have been proven positive for laboratory analysis of the virus, as part of the surveillance and investigation procedures conducted by the ministry, according to the guidelines of the World Health Organisation, pointing to the death of 45 new cases. “All confirmed cases in isolation and quarantine hospitals are subject to medical care, according to the guidelines of the World Health Organisation,” said Mujahid. He added that the governorates that recorded the highest rates of infection with coronavirus are Cairo, Giza and Qalyubia, while the governorates of the Red Sea, Matrouh and South Sinai recorded the lowest rates. Mujahid appealed to citizens to abide by the preventive measures and follow social distancing guidelines, especially in the provinces with high infection rates.

This comes a day after the government announced the easing of precautionary measures starting from Sunday. According to the decision of the Egyptian government, the curfew will start daily from eight in the evening until four in the morning, which means reducing the duration by an hour, and increasing the period of opening shops and commercial centres until six in the evening daily, while obliging all citizens in the streets and public places to wear masks.

The Egyptian government also decided to announce the gradual return of tourism and domestic flights next month, as well as places of worship and sports clubs. Observers say that the Egyptian government’s decision to reduce precautionary measures while the coronavirus infections are still noticeably increasing is not logical.

The World Health Organisation warned on Wednesday that Egypt is still in the first stage of the spread of coronavirus. This means that Egypt is much more likely to witness more infected people than they have currently. WHO pointed out that Egypt is likely to face a new wave at a later period. “The number of infected people in Egypt is still high but stable and the country is still in the first stage of the spread of the coronavirus, said Maha Talaat, the regional antimicrobial advisor. Maha Talaat explained that the date of the second wave in Egypt can only be determined after the completion of the first wave and the stability of the numbers of the infected.

For his part, the Regional Director of the World Health Organisation for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Ahmed al-Manzari, said that there are a number of countries that have exceeded the first wave of corona and that there may be a second wave, especially in light of the absence of any medicine so far to treat corona. Observers warned that all this means that the Egyptian government is relaxing precautionary measures while the country faces a great risk of the spread of the virus.