Egypt’s Supreme Committee for the Management of Coronavirus Crisis has decided to lift some COVID-19 restrictions, including a 9 pm business curfew, that have been in place since early May.
The committee, headed by Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, agreed that restaurants, cafes, shops, and malls may return to summer working hours starting Tuesday.
However, there are still rules in place. Any facility that violates summer hours will receive a fine and be subjected to closing for two weeks, and repeat violators will be shut down for a month, the committee warned.
Furthermore, restaurants and cafes may not serve shisha (hookah), religious celebrations are banned, and weddings must be held in open areas.
Commercial businesses must continue to enforce all preventive and precautionary measures against COVID-19, the committee stressed.
COVID-19 cases are on the decline, but the Egypt’s Ministry of Health is still reporting over 1,000 new cases each day.
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Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
IMAGE: A man wearing a protective face mask walks near a granite symbol hand of peace, amid concerns over the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in the Cairo suburb of Maadi, Egypt April 22, 2020.
