Egypt Announces New COVID-19 Measures amid Case Surge

Egypt Announces New COVID-19 Measures amid Case Surge

A prong extending from the CIRA-03 remote-controlled robot prototype approaches the mouth of a volunteer at a private hospital in Egypt's Nile delta city of Tanta. (AFP/File Photo)

Egypt’s government announced on Wednesday a number of new health measures to combat a third COVID-19 wave in the country.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said in a press conference that all shops, malls, restaurants, cafes and cinemas will close at 9 p.m., but that home delivery services will continue to operate as normal.

Large gatherings, concerts and celebrations will be banned between May 12-16. The measures will begin from Thursday and last for a two-week period.

Eid Payers will be allowed at mosques that were allowed to open for Friday prayers, however, children will not be permitted to attend.

Egypt reported 231,803 COVID-19 since the pandemic was first detected in the country. It also recorded 13,591 deaths.

The country expects to receive 4.9 million doses of different types of coronavirus vaccines in May, Health Minister Hala Zayed said.

Zayed said 1.7 million coronavirus doses will arrive in Egypt in the coming week and 1.7 million doses will arrive by the end of May through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX).

Also, one million doses of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine are