Egypt’s health ministry published Wednesday a 3-stage plan for coronavirus management that contains required procedures “in preparation for the gradual return of normal life in the country.”
The plan aims at “balancing between returning back to normal life while maintaining precautionary measures” to reach communal recovery from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
The first stage of the plan, according to the ministry, should be applied immediately and entails “strict measures” in order to avoid relapses. The stage ends when there is a decrease in the total number of new cases nationwide for two consecutive weeks.
In spite of lockdown measures imposed in March to contain the spread of the virus, Egypt’s infection tally has continued to surge, surpassing Tuesday the 10,000 mark, three months after the detection of the first Covid-19 case in the country on 14 February.
Though it took the country around seven weeks to reach the 1,000 infections milestone, it only took three days for Egypt to move from 9,000 to the 10,000 infections mark.
According to the ministry s plan, the second stage is that of “medium measures” that should last for 28 days after the end of the first stage.
The third stage includes lenient but continuous measures that should be ongoing until further instructions are issued, or until the World Health Organisation (WHO) declares that the global risk assessment has reduced to a low level.
In the plan, the health ministry urges citizens that until further notice they should always wear face masks when they leave home.
The plan indicates that five sectors must remain suspended during the three plases: recreational facilities (cinemas, theatres, coffee shops, etc), restaurants, schools and universities, gyms and sports facilities, in addition to any kind of social gatherings like weddings and funerals.
The ministry reaffirmed social distancing rules and urged citizens and institutions to abide by them.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on Thursday called on the ministers of higher education, health and the presidential health advisor to finalise a version of the plan to be announced soon by the cabinet.
During a meeting with a number of ministers to follow up on the latest efforts to tackle the coronavirus crisis, Madbouly stressed that the plan should include penalties for those who violate it, Al-Ahram reported.
