Egypt’s presidential adviser Mohamed Awad Tag el-Deen has blamed the country’s recent spike in coronavirus cases on family visits during the holy month of Ramadhan and on Eid-ul-Fitr.

The adviser said Egyptian families had flouted lockdown rules and had continued to gather to break their daily fast during the month of Ramadhan, despite a government-imposed curfew to try and delay the spread of the virus.

Daily News Egypt reported that on Sunday, Egypt recorded its highest daily rise in coronavirus cases since the beginning of the outbreak, with 1,536 infections and 46 new deaths.

The North African country now has 24,985 confirmed cases. Egypt’s Covid19 death toll stands at 959, the highest on the continent.

Egyptian Health Minister Hala Zayed said the number of quarantine hospitals have increased from 18 to 340. According to the country’s health authorities say medical facilities would still able to handle the numbers should cases increase further.

Umm Muhammed Umar