Serdar Bitmez
24 March 2020•Update: 24 March 2020
CAIRO
Egypt on Tuesday announced imposing a night-time curfew in the country for 15 days, starting from Wednesday, as part of measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
Speaking at a news conference, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said the movement will be restricted on public roads from 7:00 p.m. local time (1700GMT) to 6:00 a.m. local time (0400GMT).
The announcement came along with a host of decisions including suspending work at government institutions and restricting all restaurants from dine-in service.
The closure of educational institutes was also extended for another 15 days across the country.
"Those who violate the curfew will be subject to 4,000 Egyptian pounds [some $254] and imprisonment," the prime minister said.
"Egypt is still in its stage of its ability to control the spread of the epidemic, and the government is taking all required measures," he added.
On Monday, the Egyptian Ministry of Health confirmed a total of 19 deaths and 366 confirmed cases. 68 of them have been recovered.
The novel coronavirus emerged in Wuhan, China last December and has spread to at least 169 countries and territories. The WHO has declared the outbreak a pandemic.
The global death toll has surpassed 17,150, with 392,780 cases confirmed, according to U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.
