国际英语新闻:Egypt confirms 161 new COVID-19 cases, 96,914 in total

CAIRO, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Egypt confirmed on Wednesday 161 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total cases registered in the country since the outbreak of the pandemic to 96,914, said the Egyptian Health Ministry.

It is the 18th consecutive day for Egypt's COVID-19 daily infections to fall below 200, after they started to exceed 200 on April 23 until they hit a record 1,774 cases on June 19.

Meanwhile, 13 deaths from the novel coronavirus were registered on Wednesday, raising the death toll to 5,197, while 991 were cured and discharged from hospitals, increasing the total recoveries to 62,553, Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said in a statement.

Over the past six days, COVID-19-related daily fatalities in Egypt were lower than 20. A record daily deaths was seen on mid-June when 97 patients died from the viral disease.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Egyptian cabinet decided that from Sept. 1 all travelers coming to Egypt will have to present a recent PCR test that proves they are free from COVID-19. The new decision cancels any previous exceptions.

He added that public parks, entertainment parks and zoos will be allowed to receive visitors from the beginning of September but with a limited capacity, while public beaches will remain closed until further notice.

"We have not yet overcome the crisis, so it is necessary to stress that all citizens have to continue implementing all taken precautionary measures," Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly told a news conference.

The most populous Arab country announced its first confirmed COVID-19 case on Feb. 14 and the first death from the highly infectious virus on March 8.

Over the past six weeks, coronavirus daily fatalities and infections in Egypt started to gradually decline along amid highly increasing daily recoveries.

The country resumed international flights in early July, after it lifted a partial nighttime curfew it has been imposing since late March, and reopened restaurants, cafes, theaters and cinemas, as well as hotels, museums and archeological sites, all with limited capacity.

Easing restrictions is part of a "coexistence plan" adopted by the government over the past weeks to maintain anti-coronavirus precautionary measures while resuming economic activities.

Egypt and China have been working together on fighting the pandemic through exchanging medical aid and expertise.

In early February, Egypt provided aid to China to help with its fight against COVID-19 and China later sent three batches of medical aid to the North African country.