Egypt lifts coronavirus restrictions, allows reopening of mosques
Egyptans wearing masks perform amid social distancing markers, first Al Fajr prayer inside the Salah El Din Mosque in Cairo Saturday. Reuters
Egypt has lifted many of the restrictions put in place to fight the coronavirus pandemic, reopening cafés, clubs, gyms and theatres after more than three months of closure. Authorities also allowed the reopening of mosques and churches.
The government has been eager to resuscitate the Egyptian economy, which was hit hard by the virus outbreak.
In Cairo, a sprawling and bustling metropolis of some 20 million people, coffee shops reopened on Saturday to receive in-house customers for the first time since mid-March. But the smoking of "sheesha” from hookah waterpipes is no longer offered due to sanitary concerns.
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Cafes have been allowed to reopen at only 25% seating capacity, according to Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly.
Mosques and churches will not be allowed to hold their weekly main services, when large crowds traditionally gather for worship. The government has banned Friday prayers at mosques and Sunday Masses at churches, Madbouly said.
This photo shows the boats are parked on Nile river in Cairo, amid concerns about coronavirus, in Egypt. Reuters
The United Nations is marking its 75th anniversary with a scaled-down event because of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of many challenges a deeply divided world must tackle along with poverty, inequality, discrimination and unending wars.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Friday’s virtual commemoration of the signing of the UN Charter that "global pressures are spiraling up” and "today’s realities are as forbidding as ever.”
He said people continue to lose trust in political establishments and has spoken of rising populism threatening multilateralism and denounced xenophobia, racism and intolerance.
"Today’s marches against racism were preceded by widespread protests against inequality, discrimination, corruption and lack of opportunities all over the world - grievances that still need to be addressed, including with a renewed social contract,” he said in a video address.
"Meanwhile,” Guterres said, "other fundamental fragilities have only grown: the climate crisis, environmental degradation, cyberattacks, nuclear proliferation, a push-back on human rights and the risk of another pandemic.”
He stressed the urgent need for global cooperation.
"One virus ... has put us on our knees, and we have not been able to fight it effectively,” Guterres told reporters Thursday. "It’s spreading now everywhere. There was no control, no effective coordination among member states. We are divided in fighting COVID‑19.”
Associated Press
