CAIRO, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Health Ministry reported on Saturday 1,367 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, the highest daily record, raising the country's total infections to 23,449.
Thirty-four new fatalities have also been recorded, bringing the country's death toll from the disease to 913, the ministry's spokesman Khaled Megahed said in a statement.
According to Megahed, 182 patients have been discharged from the hospitals after fully cured, taking the recoveries in Egypt to 5,693.
Egypt has been witnessing a continuing surge in COVID-19 infections since the last week of April, with the government urging Egyptians to stay at home to avoid infections.
Since the beginning of the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday on May 24, Egypt extended a previously imposed nighttime curfew from nine hours to 13 hours for six days, to maintain social distancing and avoid gatherings amid increasing COVID-19 infections.
Starting from Saturday, May 30, the curfew was reduced to 10 hours for two weeks, and then the government will consider easing the restrictions and gradually resuming some suspended activities.
The government has already started gradually reopening services and offices that have been suspended since mid-March amid a "coexistence plan" to maintain anti-coronavirus precautionary measures while resuming services, businesses and economic activities.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Hala Zayed said on Saturday that the ministry has increased the number of hospitals tasked with receiving the coronavirus patients to be 376 nationwide.
She noted that 5,400 health units and 1,000 fixed and mobile medical convoys have been allocated across the country to distribute a bag of medicines and preventive supplies to those who have been in contact with COVID-19 positive cases.
The minister appealed to those who recover from the virus to donate blood plasma after 14 days of their recovery to contribute to the treatment of critical cases of COVID-19.
She noted that plasma injection showed a great success after treating 30 critical cases since blood plasmas of the recovered patients contain coronavirus antibodies, according to a statement by the health ministry.
Zayed also urged those who show symptoms of the coronavirus to go to any of these hospitals where they will receive necessary tests and treatment if needed.
Egypt and China have been closely cooperating in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic through exchanging medical aid and expertise to curb the spread of the deadly respiratory disease.
In early February, Egypt was among the first nations to provide aid to China in its fight against the coronavirus outbreak.
Since mid-April, Chinese doctors held three video conferences with Egyptian counterparts to share their experiences in the prevention and treatment of the novel coronavirus. Enditem
