CAIRO, March 24. /TASS/. Egypt’s authorities have decided to impose a two-week curfew in the country as of March 25, and take some other preventive measures to fight the novel coronavirus, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly told reporters on Tuesday at a news conference in Cairo broadcast by the Egyptian television.
"A ban on the movement of people and vehicles will be imposed in Egypt as of tomorrow, Wednesday, for two weeks from 7 pm to 6 am," he said, adding that all public transport would be stopped during the curfew. Sales outlets and shops are required to close their doors from 5 pm to 6 am and stop working on Fridays and Saturdays. The prime minister noted that all government agencies would suspend the provision of services to the population for two weeks. An exception will be made for hospitals and medical centers.
All cafes, restaurants and entertainment venues will be closed for two weeks. Besides, all schools and educational institutions will remain closed for another 15 days starting from March 31.
Earlier on Tuesday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said that he had instructed the government and the relevant bodies of executive power to take all necessary measures to fight the virus.
By now, 19 people have died of coronavirus-related complications in Egypt. Among them were several foreigners and two army generals involved in the effort to fight the disease. A total of 366 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the country, 41 patients have recovered.