The health ministry reported 718 new coronavirus cases on the same day.

Tuesday’s reported cases raise the total infection tally to 303,045 since the outbreak began in February 2020.

As many as 599 patients have been discharged after recovering from the virus, the ministry said, raising the total number of recoveries to 255,658.

Due to the fourth wave of the pandemic, Egypt is witnessing a steady increase in daily infections and deaths since early August, an upward curve that is expected to keep rising in the coming days, according to estimations by health officials.

The country is expected to see a peak in cases in a matter of three weeks, Hossam Hosny, the head of the Scientific Committee to Combat the Coronavirus at the Ministry of Health said on Monday.

Egypt is currently stepping up efforts to widen vaccination coverage to meet its target of 40 million citizens by the end of 2021.

Until 23 September, over 15 million Egyptians have been vaccinated with at least one shot since the start of the mass vaccination in early 2021, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).