Egypt to Start Easing COVID-19 Restrictions on Tuesday

Arab World

June 1st, 5:37am

Cairo - Asharq Al-Awsat

Egypt will begin easing COVID-19 restrictions on Tuesday after a drop in infections. (Reuters file photo)

Egypt will lift restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus, including easing the early closure of shops and restaurants, from Tuesday. The Supreme Committee for the Management of the Coronavirus Crisis said shops, malls, cafeterias and restaurants, which will be allowed to open daily from until 11pm, and until 12 midnights on Thursdays, Fridays and on official holidays. The Committee stressed that fines will be imposed on facilities violating the curfew. They will also be immediately shut for two weeks, and for a whole month in case of repeated violations. Despite the eased restrictions, a ban will continue on all gatherings, events, conferences or parties, and fines will be imposed on people violating these measures. Mass religious celebrations are still banned but weddings will be allowed in open-air venues. Last Sunday, Egypt’s Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly said the state will continue to implement, with utmost firmness, all precautionary measures in order to keep everyone safe. He said his government is also working to keep all medical centers and hospitals in full readiness to deal with the pandemic. Meanwhile, Health Minister Hala Zayed said Egypt had opened 403 vaccination centers this year and that the ministry was close to inoculating all those who signed up during the first phase of the program. “With the opening of new centers, 110,000 people are now being vaccinated every day, many more than when the program began,” she said. Egypt has reported 262,650 infections, 15,096 fatalities and 192,112 recoveries from the virus.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3002826/egypt-start-easing-covid-19-restrictions-tuesday