The Egyptian government has decided to shorten the current curfew time by one hour starting on June 14 and reopen sports clubs at the beginning of next week, Minister of State for Information Affairs Osama Haikal announced on Thursday
CAIRO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th June, 2020) The Egyptian government has decided to shorten the current curfew time by one hour starting on June 14 and reopen sports clubs at the beginning of next week, Minister of State for Information Affairs Osama Haikal announced on Thursday.
"Beginning on Sunday, a curfew will last from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. local time [from 18:00 to 03:00 GMT]," Haikal said at a press conference broadcast by the official tv channels.
The curfew that is currently in place lasts from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Shops will be allowed to work one hour longer seven days a week - until 6 p.m. - instead of 5 p.m., the minister added. Sports clubs are permitted to resume activities on June 15, according to the minister.
Following this step, Egypt's government intends to resume air traffic between the provinces with a low COVID-19 risk level beginning on July 1. In early July, it is also planned to reopen places of worship, the minister noted.
However, Cairo has extended the ban on visiting beaches and parks until June 30, Haikal said, adding that a limited number of employees were continuing to work in state institutions.
On March 19, the Egyptian government declared the suspension of air traffic in all of the country's airports amid the pandemic. All tourist sites were also closed at that time.
In late May, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said that shopping centers and institutions providing various services to citizens would resume operations.
On Wednesday, the country's Health Ministry registered 1,455 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total of those infected to over 38,000. The death toll now stands at 1,342.
