FILE – Egypt’s Prime Minister Mustafa Mabdouli - Cabinet
CAIRO – 25 June 2020: Egypt’s prime minister on Thursday has urged relevant ministers to closely follow up on the gradual resumption of some daily activities amid the coronavirus crisis, which is set to come into effect on Saturday (June 27), including partial opening of mosques, churches, restaurants and cafes.
Egypt will also resume international flights with some countries under a number of conditions and will receive foreign visitors in the governorates of Red Sea, South Sinai and Matrouh, known for housing some of Egypt’s most popular tourist attractions.
Know about the safety measures set to be taken as Egypt resumes international flights amid the COVID-19 crisis
In a weekly meeting with a number of ministers including the health minister, Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli urged authorities to take deterrent measures against violators of preventive measures, including wearing masks, by closing the violating establishments and applying fine on violators.
Inspection teams were formed to make sudden visits to relevant establishments, including tourist resorts, to make sure conditions for gradual opening are applied, Minister of Local Development Mahmoud Shaarawi said during the meeting.
Reviewing cooperation with the ministries of tourism and civil aviation, Health Minister Hala Zayed said her ministry has established a central chamber to manage health institutions in Red Sea, South Sinai and Matrouh governorates, to coincide with the resumption of international flights.
Also, the ministry has cooperated with the Tourism Ministry to train medical and non-medical staff inside quarantine facilities and medical institutions about the proper reception of tourists in these places.
Concerning measures aiming at reducing the number of coronavirus cases in the country, Zayed said 11,302 bags containing coronavirus drugs have been so far distributed for cases isolated at home, while contacts have received 107,589 bags.
The prime minister, during the meeting, has approved a number of decisions, including one on setting up a center in Luxor to enhance flexibility and innovation and spread knowledge in Upper Egypt.
A memo of understanding signed between the Agriculture Ministry and the World Food Program (WFP) stipulates setting up Luxor center in implementation of the goals of the National Strategy for Sustainable Development (Egypt Vision 2030).
The strategy aims at addressing radical reasons behind poverty, lack of social equality and poor food security.
The memo aims at expanding cooperation between the Agriculture Ministry and the WFP through setting up a platform for innovation and spreading knowledge.
The center will be fully owned by the Egyptian government and run by the ministry and Luxor governorate.
It also seeks to back small farmers as regards agricultural development, encourage them on green economy that aims at reducing pollution, improve production of food materials and help them to adapt to climate change.
The cabinet also approved a number of draft resolutions issued by the president as regards allocating lands to set up a logistics trade area in Qena, exempting some prisoners on the 68th anniversary of June 23 Revolution and rationalizing public spending in light of the coronavirus crisis.
Madbouli also approved a decision allowing the Ministry of Supply to purchase 40 million cloth masks.
Egypt recorded, Wednesday, 1,420 new coronavirus cases, upping the total number of confirmed cases to 59,561.
In a statement, Spokesman for the Health Ministry Khaled Megahed said 85 patients have died from the virus over the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to 2,450.
As many as 400 patients were discharged from isolation hospitals after receiving necessary medical care, taking the number of recovered cases to 15,935 so far, the spokesman said.
Also, the number of coronavirus patients who had now been retested for the virus and had received negative results has reached 17,434, he added.
The Egyptian Drug Authority announced signing a deal with AstraZeneca to supply the country with the Oxford University's vaccine for COVID-19 without disclosing the number of doses or the delivery date.
State’s MENA contributed to the reporting
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