Egypt’s Parliament approves draft law empowering state to face infectious diseases

CAIRO – 23 June 2020: The Egyptian Parliament has approved a draft law amending some provisions to enhance the state’s ability to face the risk of the spread of some diseases that threaten the public health.

Parliamentarian Mohamed el-Emary, the head of the health affairs committee, along with 60 other members of Parliament have submitted the amendment to the law regarding the health precautions to prevent infectious diseases.

The draft law aims to develop the ability of health authorities to face the risk of the spread of diseases amid the exceptional circumstances imposed by the spread of COVID-19.

The bill further seeks to grant the Ministry of Health new powers to effectively deal with the threat of coronavirus, and compel individuals to use medical masks and other protective supplies once they are outside their homes.

In this regard, et publishes the amendments:

- Enabling health authorities to take necessary health measures to deal with dead bodies due to epidemics, under health supervision.

- Granting the Ministry of Health the right to issue a decision on the health rules and procedures dealing with deaths as a result of infectious diseases, including the requirements of burial permits, burial location, the completion of washing and shrouding of the deceased.

- Introducing a punitive text to criminalize any action that hinder, interrupt or prevent the burial of the dead or any of the burial rites that violates the rules set by the law.

- The penalty of preventing or disrupting the burial of the dead will be imprisonment and a fine of L.E. 5,000-10,000.

- The penalty will be doubled in case the offense is repeated, or any of the previously mentioned acts are associated with the use of violence or force.