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CAIRO, May 25-- The Egyptian government on Monday announced 702 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the North African country to 17,967. Meanwhile, 19 new deaths were recorded, taking the total number of fatalities to 783, while 93 more fully recovered and were discharged from hospitals in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of recoveries to 4,900, Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said in a statement. Egypt announced its first confirmed case of COVID-19 on Feb. 14 and the first death on March 8, both foreigners. During the six-day Eid al-Fitr holiday, which started on Sunday, the evening curfew in Egypt lasts 13 hours instead of nine to maintain social distancing and avoid gatherings amid the increasing COVID-19 infections. After the Islamic holiday, the curfew will be reduced to 10 hours for two weeks, before the government will consider from mid-June easing restrictions and gradually resuming suspended activities. Egypt has already started easing restrictions and gradually reopening services and offices that have been halted since mid-March amid the government's coexistence plan to maintain anti-coronavirus precautionary measures while resuming services, businesses and economic activities. Egypt has received three batches of medical aid from the Chinese government to help its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. | 
