Egypt introduces new COVID-19 curbs
Opening hours of malls, cafes shortened, children barred from Eid prayers
Cairo: Egypt has introduced new restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections in the run-up to the Eid Al Fitr holidays.
Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli announced that starting from today, shops, malls, coffee shops, cinemas and theatres will shut down at 9pm (11pm UAE time) every day for two weeks – four hours earlier than their usual closing schedule. Delivery services will continue during the two weeks.
Concerts and other artistic activities will be banned during the same period. Parks and beaches will be closed in the four-day Eid holiday.
Major mosques
The Eid prayers, performed on the morning of the first day of the feast, will be limited to major mosques in the country with a ban on escorting children, Madbouli added at a press conference.
Egyptian authorities have recently banned mass celebrations amid fears of a spike in infection rates during the holy month of Ramadan noted for social gatherings.
Egypt, a country of over 100 million people, Wednesday night reported 1,102 new coronavirus cases and 64 deaths. The latest cases have brought the country’s infection tally to 232,905 cases and 13,655 related fatalities.
In January, Egypt launched mass vaccinations against COVID-19, beginning with health workers, with nearly 1 million people vaccinated so far.