Egypt decided to impose a number of restrictions during the holy month of Ramadan due to the recent surge in Covid-19 cases, including preventive measures at mosques. While Tarawih prayers will be allowed during the holy month, they must be reduced to no more than half an hour. Also charity iftar tables, Tahajjud, night prayer and staying for days in mosques for worshiping will be banned. Any large gatherings inside mosques, including celebrations and funerals, are also not allowed. The Egyptian Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs called for the “strict implementation of the new measures.” This comes as Egypts COVID-19 daily infections exceeded 700, setting a new record since the start of the pandemic in the country. According to reports, Egypt registered 712 positive cases on Friday and 46 deaths. The new cases raised the total number of infections to 202843, of whom 15,5016 recovered while 12,041 died. For his part, Health Ministry Spokesman Khalid Mujahid said: “We recently received the first shipment of AstraZeneca vaccines from the Global Vaccination Alliance, and the remaining doses are scheduled to be received periodically throughout 2021”. In a televised statement on Friday, Mujahid said that the number of vaccination centers has increased from 40 to 139 after they witnessed a great turn out. "This number is expected to increase during the coming period,” he noted, saying that Egypt is one of the least affected countries in the world in terms of covid-19 infections. The official also stressed that hospitals in Egypt are fully ready and equipped to deal with Covid-19 patients.