The Health Ministry reported 1,379 new covid-19 infections yesterday, up from 1,303 the day before. Egypt has now disclosed a total of 403,990 confirmed cases of covid-19. The ministry also reported 33 new deaths, bringing the country’s total death toll to 22,238.

Omicron taking hold? There has been an “increase in the prevalence” of omicron in Egypt between November and January, a Health Ministry statement reported interim minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar as saying during yesterday’s weekly cabinet meeting, without disclosing further details. Since its discovery in late November, the ministry has provided little information on omicron’s presence in Egypt, making it hard to gauge to what extent the variant is responsible for the recent upswing in cases.

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