Last Updated on April 28, 2020, 4:55 AM AST by Anthony Morris
Abdel Fattah El Sisi, the President of Egypt, has issued a decision on Tuesday for the imposition of the state of emergency for three months throughout the country, with effect from this morning.
The armed forces and the police would take the necessary steps to maintain security throughout the country, confront the dangers of terror financing, protect public and private property and make sure that the people are safe in accordance with the decision made by the President.
Egypt has suffered several lethal terror attacks which have emanating from the insurgents in the Sinai Peninsula in recent years, many claimed by the ISIS affiliate that has found a safe haven in the remote area of the country.
The country will also keep a night-time curfew for the holy Muslim month of Ramadan to combat the coronavirus spread but allow one extra hour of movement, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said last week.
The curfew would be starting at 9 pm instead of the previous 8 pm and run until 6 am, he told a televised news conference.
In the effort of easing of measures which have been placed to stem the spread of the virus, shops and malls would be allowed to open daily until 5 pm during the holy month of Ramzan.
Restaurants which have been closed since late March would also be given permission to open, but only for delivery and take-away.
Suspended government services have been gradually reopened starting this week.
Mentioning that the economy of Egypt has been “considerably impacted” by the coronavirus crisis, the President said that the Government would consider further easing of restrictions for a slow return to normalcy after the month of Ramadan.
He said that the Government has been trying to strike a balance between protecting the health of citizens and maintaining economic activity.
Since late March, Egypt has imposed stringent measures to slow the spread of the contagion among the 100 million people of the country.
Flights have been stopped and schools and universities have been closed along with the tourist and religious sites.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
