Misr Spinning and Weaving Company in the Nile Delta city of Al-Mahalla resumed operations on Wednesday with reduced workforce, after a 10-day hiatus over coronavirus fears, a circular by the company said.
The company, Egypt’s largest textile factory, had put its staff on furlough from March 23 and asked them to go on self-isolation at home after the detection of some coronavirus cases in the city.
In a circular dated Tuesday, the state company said work will resume with morning shifts only until mid-April. Workers with chronic diseases, those residing in other govenorates and pregnant women are also furloughed. All cafeterias at the company were ordered to close and all offices and restrooms are to be sanitized.
Established in 1927, the Misr Spinning and Weaving Company, is the largest in Africa and the Middle East with over 16,500 workers, the company’s website said. It is affiliated to the Holding Company for Spinning and Weaving, which belongs to the Ministry of Public Business Sector.
While resuming work, the company is granting exceptional paid leave to workers from the Al-Hayatem village, where several coronavirus cases have been detected and hundreds have been isolated.
The company s Chairman Ashraf Ezzat called on the workers to exercise caution in all their daily dealings in order to avoid infection with the coronavirus, the circular said.
Egypt has registerd a total of 710 coronavirus cases and 46 deaths.
