São Paulo – Egypt’s government canceled New Year’s celebrations and it will shut down facilities organizing festivities. Weddings, funerals and other gatherings are also prohibited, in a bid to keep novel coronavirus infections at bay. Hotels will be allowed to host weddings in open spaces only, and fines will be levied for non-compliance.
There have been 133,900 reported cases and 7,466 deaths from Covid-19 in Egypt, as per the latest numbers from the World Health Organization (WHO). Egypt’s prime minister Mostafa Madbouly said during a meeting of the Supreme Committee for the Management of the Coronavirus Crisis that “the past few days had witnessed a remarkable increase in the number of new cases,” the website of newspaper Arab News reported.
Tourism slowed in Egypt in the wake of new waves of Covid-19. Hotel occupancy rates slid year-on-year in major tourist spots such as Cairo, Giza, Luxor, Aswan, Sharm El-Sheik and Hurghada, officials have said.
Madbouly said penalties will be imposed starting January 3. Those failing to wear facemasks will be fined EGP 50 (USD 3.18), and failure to pay will result in prosecution.
The administration also ordered restaurants and cafés to take in no more than 50% of capacity. Failure to comply will result in a EGP 4,000 fine (USD 254.1) and weeklong closure. Repeat violation will result in two-week closure.
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
