A statement issued by parliament's Secretary-General Mahmoud Fawzi on Monday afternoon said the House's coming plenary meetings will be held on 12 April instead of Sunday 29 March. "The postponement comes in line with state efforts to ban gatherings that might lead to the spread of the coronavirus," said the statement, noting that as "MPs come from different governorates, it has become a necessity that they should not gather in one place." The decision is also in line with Article 277 of the House's internal by-laws which grants the speaker a mandate to change the date of plenary meetings whenever necessary. "As a result, Speaker Ali Abdel-Aal decided that the House's plenary meetings which were scheduled for 29 March be postponed to 12 April." Parliament issued a statement on 20 March, urging citizens to abide by the precautionary measures taken by the government to contain the coronavirus. Guests and staff are not currently allowed to enter the House's building unless they test negative for coronavirus.
