The Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade is in a state of emergency in preparation for Eid al-Fitr, said Mahmoud Abdel Aziz, head of the trade and distribution department. “The minister raised the state of alert to face the black market mafia,” Abdel Aziz said, adding that co-ops are providing many basic commodities during the holiday at discounts ranging from 15 and 20 percent. “Bakeries will be open all day,” he said. “Only 10 percent of the bakeries will be allowed to close for maintenance.” He pointed out that it was agreed with the ministries of agriculture and health to form a central operation room to monitor the markets and receive complaints from consumers. For its part, the Ministry of Health and Population is stationing a large number of ambulances on various highways and in places of gathering, said spokesperson Mohamed Fathallah. “The ministry has increased the presence of doctors in hospitals, especially in emergency rooms, provided extra beds for intensive care units, and supplied extra blood bags. Dr. Amr Qandil, head of the Preventive Medicine Department, said the department had also established an emergency room open 24 hours a day to receive any cases of food poisoning, and had already sent a team a week ago to inspect meat and other foods that are frequently eaten during the holidays to make sure they are safe. The Ministry of Electricity and Energy is securing voltage stability during the holidays, and the minister cancelled the vacations of maintenance workers during that time. Transport Minister Ibrahim al-Demeiry, for his part, extended subway operation hours by 21 hours, and the head of the National Authority for Railways raised safety and security preparations. Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
