COVID-19: Egypt’s deputy speaker urges banning domestic travel on ‘Eid’ holiday

CAIRO – 11 May 2020: Parliament's Deputy Speaker Soliman Wahdan urged the government to take firm measures before the Islamic holiday of Eid Al-Fitr, translated as “the festival of breaking the fast,” including banning travel between Egyptian governorates, in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19)

Eid Al-Fitr, based on the sighting of the moon, will likely be celebrated in Egypt starting May 23rd.

Wahdan also called on the government to close all beaches and all roads leading to them.

He also criticized the behavior of some citizens who continue to take part in large gatherings, but said coexistence with the virus is inevitable and citizens should stick to preventive measures.

The Health Ministry on Sunday said 436 people in Egypt tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) recently and 11 people died with the novel virus.

This brings the total number of cases and deaths to 9,400 and 525 deaths respectively since the crisis started, according to the official figures.

The test results of 2,556 people of the reported cases turned from positive to negative, including 2,075 people who fully recovered.

Also, 73 cases left hospital after they recovered, according to the instructions of the World Health Organization (WHO).

As Egypt saw a surge in the number of the coronavirus cases, Health Minister Hala Zayed on Saturday said the state authorities have responded to the coronavirus crisis and made all efforts to curb its spread, blaming the surge on the behavior of many citizens.

‘Coexistence’ plan

Late, in April, the health minister reviewed the ministry’s plan to fulfill the state’s strategy based on coexistence with the novel virus in the coming period, as the end of the crisis is not yet in sight.

In a meeting with Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli via video conferencing, the minister noted that the plan is based on following all necessary in various facilities and reassessing the epidemiological situation every 14 days. She affirmed the need for state institutions to set immediate penalties for violators of these measures.

Companies, malls, markets and transportation means will be included in the plan, Zayed said, while affirming that some places that pose a high risk of infection must remain closed. Services in these places should be reached via electronic ways as much as possible, she added.

The minister also referred to some additional public safety procedures in case institutions were opened, including checking the temperature of those entering them, allocating a room inside each institution to isolate any coronavirus suspected cases.

The plan also recommends reducing workers per shift, keeping institutions well-ventilated and reducing the use of air-conditioners whenever possible.