Egypt’s government on Wednesday announced a slew of new anti-COVID 19 measures amid an increasing number of coronavirus cases in the country, reported Reuters. The measures will remain in effect for two weeks starting Thursday to curb the spread of the coronavirus during the last days of Ramadan and the Eid celebrations.
During a press conference, Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said all shops, malls, restaurants, cafes, and cinemas will now close at 9 p.m. (1900 GMT). Home delivery services, however, will continue to operate as normal.
“From tomorrow, May 6 to May 21, we will close all shops, malls, cafes, restaurants, cinemas, and theaters at 9 o’clock in the evening to greatly reduce the crowding witnessed in these places,” Madbouly said.
The prime minister said mass gatherings and concerts will also be banned over the same period and beaches and parks will remain closed from May 12 until May 16. The Eid celebrations, which will take place on May 12 and 13, this year fall in the middle of the two-week-long period of restrictions.
Madbouly said Eid prayers will be held at the same mosques where Friday prayers are held but with strict precautionary measures in place. He added that children will be prohibited from entering mosques.
He said about 1.7 million people had been fined in recent months for not wearing face masks. He urged Egypt’s people to strictly follow health guidelines and register for vaccination as the country reels through the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier this week, Mohamed Abdel Fattah, undersecretary of Egypt’s Ministry of Health for Preventive Affairs, appealed to the people to adhere to coronavirus precautionary measures and warned of the extra care needed during the next 10 days to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
“We have seen an increase in the number of coronavirus cases in some governorates . . . the next 10 days are the most dangerous for the spread of the virus because of the crowds due to the last 10 days of Ramadan and Eid,” he said.
Egypt, the most populous Arab country, has recorded nearly 233,000 coronavirus cases including more than 13,600 deaths.
