Egypt 'past peak' of second Covid wave, says official

Egypt has reported a marked decrease in Covid-19 cases, with authorities now claiming that the country has passed the peak of the virus outbreak's second wave. 

The North African country recorded 589 new coronavirus cases and 48 deaths on Friday.

"Recorded cases by the Health Ministry first reached 1,000 and then decreased to around 500, which means the passing of the second wave of the coronavirus," Presidential Adviser Mohamed Awad Tag El-Din said.

Tag El-Din said that precautionary measures, online education and other steps had helped Egypt reduce its number of cases.

"Large numbers are treated outside health institutions. However, the number of deaths covers both [those] who died inside hospitals and outside," he added.

Egypt, the Arab world's most populous country with around 100 million people, has recorded nearly 165,000 Covid-19 cases, including more than 9,200 deaths.

But some health officials suggest the reported infection rate is much lower than actual figures.

Cairo started vaccinating healthcare workers using China's Sinopharm jabs on January 24.

Health Minister Hala Zayed has said that vaccination will have a key role in reducing deaths and further containing the outbreak.

Jabs will be rolled out next to the elderly and people with chronic health conditions.

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