The Egyptian government said the easing of restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 depends on the commitment of citizens to ensure the epidemic does not re-emerge.
The cabinet said life can only return to normal if citizens observe all precautions, noting that the state wants to achieve a balance between the approved measures to confront the virus and protect citizens, while ensuring the continuity of the economic activity and production.
The government denied reports claiming protective masks are being manufactured from non-medical materials in isolation centers, asserting that all supplies for medical staff and workers in all isolation hospitals meet international standards.
In related news, the cabinet’s media center issued a statement asserting that the government is committed to protecting the rights of all employees, after reports claimed it was laying off a number of civil servants in accordance of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) plan to receive a loan to confront coronavirus.
The statement confirmed the government has granted administrative staff exceptional leave in many sectors and reduced the number of workers while paying all their salaries, as part of its measures to confront the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Civil Aviation denied reports that it plans to resume flights as of May 16th, asserting that air traffic will remain suspended in accordance with the government’s decision.
The cabinet also explained that a number of exceptional trips were organized to bring back Egyptians stranded abroad, in coordination with the Ministry of Immigration and Foreign Affairs.
On Friday, the Health Ministry announced that 79 patients were discharged from the hospital after completely recovering from the coronavirus, raising the number of recovered cases to 1,460 out of 1,875 who had been retested for the virus and had received negative results.
Egypt recorded 358 new coronavirus cases and 14 deaths, which raises the total infected patients of COVID-19 to 5,895 and the total deaths to 406.
