On 4 January, fashion designer Samo Hagras posted an Instagram story of a wedding in which Egyptian Health Minister Hala Zayed could be seen being photographed with the bride and groom. The video instantly went viral with many questioning why and how she would attend a wedding despite the government banning indoor gatherings and discouraging outdoor ones. In the video, which appears to have been taken in an indoor event hall, Zayed is wearing a mask, but is surrounded by other attendees, almost none of whom are wearing masks. According to government restrictions, masks are to be worn in public places, a rule that if violated results in a fine, and indoor events are banned. Al-Masry Al-Youm reached out to Hagras who originally posted the video, and he refused to specify when the wedding took place, but the reporters went on to attempt to deduce the timing through a number of pieces of evidence. Firstly, the report notes that singer Tamer Hosny was in attendance, singing a song that was not released until October of last year, meaning that it can only have taken place sometime in the last three…
Egypt Health Minister Attends Wedding Contrary to Government Instructions as COVID-19 Cases Rise
January 5, 2021
