Giza Zoo, major gardens to reopen Monday as coronavirus cases decline

CAIRO – 21 August 2020: The Giza Zoo, as well as a number of well-known gardens in the Greater Cairo will reopen for the public starting Monday, the Agriculture Ministry media adviser said, after months of closure over the spread of coronavirus.

The plan also includes the Orman Garden in Giza and Aquarium Grotto garden in Cairo’s Zamalek, taking into consideration the strict adoption of precautionary measures against the novel virus.

In statements, Media Adviser Ahmed Ibrahim said precautionary measures will be applied to protect visitors and staffers from infection in line with the conditions set by the cabinet.

Egypt on Thursday reported 111 new coronavirus cases and 5 new deaths, raising the total number to 97,025 and 5,212 respectively.

Giza Zoo welcomes newborn hippo, kudu, Arabian oryx

CAIRO - 21 October 2019: Giza Zoo welcomed a number of newborn animals including hippopotamus, kudu, and Arabian oryx. According to Maha Sabry, the director of Giza Zoo, the newborn hippo is 13 days old, and is always kept with its mother inside an isolated lake, for the sake of its protection.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli said public gardens and beaches will remain closed, but parks that can be controlled, including Giza Zoo and Alexandria's Montazah Gardens can reopen with a limited number of tickets daily.

After five months of almost total suspension of Muslim’s Friday prayer due to spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Madbouli in a press conference said big mosques that can maintain coronavirus preventive measures can receive worshippers for the Friday prayer starting August 28.

Muslims go in large numbers, especially in Arab countries, to perform the the Friday prayer every week at the afternoon in mosques, instead of the Zohr prayer, the second among five prayers a day.

In March, the Cabinet announced closing mosques to help curb coronavirus, but few months later it said worshippers will be allowed to perform daily prayers, excluding the Friday prayers and occasional prayers in feasts.

As part of preventive measures, Madbouli also said Egyptians and foreigners coming from abroad will have to show negative PCR result before entering Egypt.

Concerning vaccines, he noted that Egypt will obtain coronavirus vaccines once they are approved and made available, without specifying names. He added that 2.5 million vaccines will be available for seasonal flu.