Egypt's health ministry reported 201 new coronavirus cases on Friday, bringing the country’s total number of confirmed cases to 4,092.

The ministry also registered seven new fatalities on Friday, bringing the total number of COVID-19 deaths to 294.

The ministry said that 71 Egyptian patients have fully recovered and been discharged from isolation hospitals and quarantine facilities, bringing the total number of recoveries from the virus so far to 1,075.

The number of patients who have retested negative, including the complete recoveries, has reached 1,417, ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said.

The newly detected cases were discovered through the ministry’s investigation and contact tracing protocols, Megahed added.

The government has decided to shorten the nighttime curfew imposed to contain the spread of the virus by one hour, to begin at 9pm each day instead of the previous 8pm.

The change started on Friday, which is also the first day of the Islamic month of Ramadan.

The move is aimed at reducing overcrowding in the hours before the curfew begins, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said.

The prime minister said the number of infections is expected to continue to rise, but assured the public that the government is able to contain the virus.