How Egyptians Have Been Dealing With COVID-19 Pandemic?
The text encourages people to stay home, as Egypt ramps up its efforts to slow down the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, March 30, 2020. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany.By: Tasnim Elnasharty/ Arab America Contributing Writer
Nowadays, we all know about the COVID-19 pandemic that shocked all the people around the world; in other words, the Coronavirus outbreak. The World Health Organization is around the clock is fighting the effect of this virus all over the world. Countries, with the help of the government and national societies, are in a battle against the virus. The article spotlights the different reactions of Egyptian societies against the COVID-19 pandemic. Check out how the Egyptian people have been dealing with the deadly coronavirus.
Coronavirus Cases in Egypt
In Egypt, a total of 536 confirmed coronavirus cases including 30 deaths as of Friday afternoon, March 27, 2020. With the number of infections expected to rise, the government has intensified its efforts to stem the outbreak. In mid-March, Egypt suspended international flights to and from the country. The authorities also closed schools and universities, banned mass gatherings, and shuttered movie theaters at that time.
People Action To Fight COVID-19
On March 23, 2020, much happened on the streets of Alexandria while the rest of Egypt slept. The effort in Alexandria started when its residents’ prayed from their balconies instead of their mosques. They prayed that the Coronavirus pandemic ends soon. But unfortunately, hundreds of people decided to take the prayers and chants to the streets to alert people about the coronavirus!
These protests on the streets were stopped because this was one way the deadly virus spreads! Since then, massive campaigns and initiatives have been taking place to warn millions of Egyptians to stay at home. One cannot deny that some people found the message to be very hard to grasp.
Government Action
In a March 24 press conference broadcast live on national television, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced the two-week closure of all malls, gyms, sporting clubs, restaurants, and cafes, but noted that delivery services would continue during non-curfew hours. He added that all shops except for supermarkets, bakeries and pharmacies would have to close at 5 p.m. on weekdays and remain closed throughout the weekend (Fridays and Saturdays). In addition, the Prime Minister announced that all public transportation will come to a halt during curfew hours over the same period. This decision applied to the Cairo metro, the main mean of transportation for over 3.5 million commuters daily in the Greater Cairo region. The purpose of these measures is to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Relieving Way to Spend Time at Home During the Pandemic
Shorouk NewsOn the First Day of the curfew that Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly implemented as a precautionary measure to tackle the Coronavirus, Muhammed Adel, 24 years old, came out on his balcony on Mohamed Hassan Street in the city of Haram neighborhood, playing the violin, trying to amuse his time and neighbors and help them stick to isolation in order to confront the virus and limit its spread. With the encouragement of his cousin, Muhammed Adel still plays and sings along the lines of videos that came out of Italy, where the residents stood at balconies and at their windows while they were singing and playing music. Muhammed Adel has not only amused his community, but also has inspired other performers to display their talents on balconies across Egypt.
Sources
https://www.shorouknews.com/news/view.aspx?cdate=26032020&id=5141d3e6-a7ac-46a8-a19d-bfe56a4e0aa6
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