Minibus driver Walid Fahmy was forced to borrow a mask from a passenger on his route from El-Bagour city in Menofia Governorate to the city of October 6 in Giza, as more penalties are imposed by a traffic inspection committee, in accordance with amendments to Law 137 of 1958.
The Egyptian parliament approved amendments to the law that allow executive bodies to impose a maximum fine of EGP4,000 (around $247) for those who do not wear a mask, within news measures to face the spread of the COVID-19 disease as the lockdown eases.
Fahmy, like many others in Egypt, finds it difficult to obtain masks as their numbers dwindle in pharmacies with the increase in the rate of infections.
While the government pledged to provide washable and reusable masks the soonest possible, the Ministry of Interior launched campaigns to fine violators, some of whom tried to circumvent the law by wearing a single-use mask more than once.
Nevin Jameh, Minister of Trade and Industry, announced that Egypt was aiming to provide about 30 million masks per month to meet the needs of the local market, adding that during the next few days, the production of 8 million fabric masks would begin.
But until reusable masks are available on the market, Dr. Mahmoud Shehata, a virologist at the National Research Center, warned against wearing single-use masks more than once.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he urged the citizens to comply with health regulations, and to refrain from misusing masks and throwing them in garbage containers in order to prevent unlicensed factories from exploiting them.
