Egypt on Sunday upped its state of readiness to face the coronavirus following new government measures and a state of emergency plan across the country.
The Egyptian prime minister’s office warned merchants on Sunday from inflation while Al-Azhar’s Senior Scholars Authority called for the suspension of prayers as part of measures against COVID-19.
On Sunday, Egypt’s health ministry added 16 more cases of the new coronavirus, bringing the total of confirmed cases to 126.
During the day, Egyptian Armed Forces’ Chief of Staff Mohammed Farid inspected the military equipment used to confront the coronavirus outbreak.
The Egyptian Army took a series of measures to confront the virus, such as storing foodstuffs and providing training on preventive measures.
The Armed Forces’ Fire and Rescue Department provided 24 firefighting vehicles with antiseptic solutions for disinfection and to sterilize open spaces, including flats and buildings.
The army said its transport department would also provide the Chemical Warfare Department with water needed for sterilization and disinfection solutions, and will also transport all medical equipment and foodstuff.
Egypt’s judicial institutions said on Sunday they suspended court trials for two weeks nationwide due to the outbreak of coronavirus.
"The Court of Cassation, the Supreme Judicial Council, the State Council, and the General Prosecution decided to postpone all lawsuits for two weeks, starting from Monday, March 16, 2020," a Justice Ministry statement said.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi issued a decree on Saturday to allocate LE100 billion ($6.4 billion), to fund the strategy to fight the virus and its related precautionary measures.
The virus caused widespread panic among Egyptian buyers, driving the government to call on merchants to provide shoppers with the needed stocks of commodities and essential goods.
Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly asserted that the government would use an iron fist when dealing with merchants who hide goods or increase their prices.
Egyptian Minister of Supply and Internal Trade Ali al-Meselhy said that grain reserves would last 3.6 months, until next June 30, while sugar would last 7.3 months.
