Coronavirus: 985 confirmed cases in Egypt

A volunteer (L) ties a mask onto an Egyptian woman in a street in the Egyptian capital Cairo on 20 March 2020 [KHALED DESOUKI/AFP/Getty Images]

The number of cases of the new coronavirus detected in Egypt jumped by more than 100 for the first time on Friday, bringing total infections to 985, Reuters reported the health ministry as saying.

The ministry said in a statement that 120 new cases had been discovered, and that eight new deaths had been recorded. That brought the total number of deaths to 66.

Egyptian officials have said that once the number of known infections surpasses 1,000, the task of tracing contacts and quarantining those affected would become harder.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has said the next week will be critical in Egypt’s efforts to contain the illness.

Read: Egyptians call for presidential palaces to become coronavirus quarantine centres

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