According to Egypt’s Ministry of Health, the number of COVID-19 cases has reached 3,144 with a death toll of 239 on Sunday.
Cases of the novel virus have been steadily increasing in the country despite governmental measures to curb the rate of infection by imposing a partial lock-down.
Despite it being a time of holidays – with Coptic Easter being on Sunday – many are encouraged to stay at home for the religious festivities; churches have temporarily halted communal prayers and services.
Additionally, Egypt’s Prime Minister announced on that all public transport options, shops and entertainment facilities, beaches and public parks would be closed during the Sham El-Nessim holiday on Monday 20 April.
It is expected that the preventative measures would extend to Ramadan although the government has not announced details yet.
Marking an abrupt change to a tradition long revered by thousands of Egyptians during the month of Ramadan, the Ministry of Endowments has banned charity iftar tables in order to curb the infection of COVID-19 in the country.
In a press conference last week, Minister of Planning Hala El Said stated that there was a 50 percent chance that measures containing the COVID-19 crisis would last until September of this year.
Since February, the Egyptian state developed three likely scenarios in regards to containing the virus: the first sees a 20 percent chance for it to be contained by June, the second scenario sees a 50 percent chance to end by September, and finally the third scenario sees a 30 percent chance that it will last until the end of December.
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