São Paulo – Egypt plans to gradually resume international flights next month with countries that have opened their airports. The country’s Civil Aviation Minister Mohamed Manar said on Sunday (14) that all airports will reopen on July 1.
The decision is “an important step for the aviation sector to be accompanied with the sanitization operations for all the country’s airports and airplanes,” he said.
Last Thursday (11), Egypt said that foreign tourists would be allowed to return to three coastal governorates. The areas that will open are South Sinai, where the popular seaside resort of Sharm El-Sheikh is located; the Red Sea governorate, home to the city of Hurghada; and Marsa Matrouh on the Mediterranean.
Manar said that authorities have adopted a series of preventative measures to stem the spread of the virus during the reopening stages. Egypt’s Health minister Hala Zayed said earlier this month that Egyptian tourist destinations have recorded the lowest numbers of coronavirus cases, unlike greater Cairo, which has the highest number of infections.
Other areas across Egypt will gradually open up for foreign tourists later based on the development of the pandemic, Tourism minister Khaled Al-Anani was quoted as saying in a press release.
The government has so far allowed dozens of hotels to operate at a reduced occupancy rate after adhering to safety protocols. The move is meant to revive its key tourism sector, which has been hit hard by the virus restrictions. The permitted occupancy was initially set at 25% of the usual capacity but was increased to 50% earlier this month.
The number of visitors of major museums, such as Cairo’s Egyptian Museum, will not exceed 200 visitors per hour, while other museums will not receive more than 100 per hour.
At the airport
Minister Manar said that travelers must sign an acknowledgement at departure airports that they are free of the virus prior to boarding their planes and before receiving the boarding pass.
Travelers coming to Egypt from countries with high rates of coronavirus infections, based on evaluation by the World Health Organization (WHO), will be required to submit COVID-19 test results before travelling to prove they are coronavirus-free.
Speaking about Egyptian airlines, the minister said passengers would be required to keep a safe distance from one another in queues and when boarding onto and landing from the plane. Passengers and aircrew will also be obligated to wear masks on board planes. Disinfectants, gloves and masks will be available on board in a special bag for each traveler.
Planes will be sanitized after each trip and only dry meals and canned drinks are to be provided, Manar noted. Paper publications like magazines and newspapers will not be allowed in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Special seats will be designated for people with chronic diseases who cannot wear masks for a long time.
Egypt halted all international flights on March 19 and shut down restaurants, hotels and cafes as measures against the coronavirus spread. It has since only allowed its airports to open to domestic, freight and special repatriation flights.
Information is from Arab News and Ahram Online newspapers.
Egypt has recorded 44,598 COVID-19 cases and 1,575 fatalities as of this Monday, according to WHO.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
