The nationwide curfew will be reduced by one hour, effective as of today, to take place from 8pm to 5am according to the Minister of Information. Despite the stricter restrictions last week, Egypt has detected a new daily record of 1,289 cases on Friday to reach over 22,082 with 879 deaths. Malls and shops will be allowed to reopen all week starting Saturday until 5 pm after a full closure last week. Some businesses like coffee shops, sports clubs and gyms will remain closed, however, and violators will be subject to a fine of up to EGP 4,000 and/or imprisonment. Cairo's underground metro resumed operations on Saturday, with trains running until around 7:45 pm. The start of operating hours remains unchanged at 6 am. Before the curfew, the regular operating hours of the Cairo metro were between 5:15 am to 1 am. Around 81 trains will be operated daily on the three main metro lines and additional trains could be operated to shorten the time between trains to three minutes, down from four minutes to reduce Cairo metro overcrowding amid the outbreak, the transportation ministry said on Friday. Wearing face masks in public places has become mandatory since Saturday, with violators facing hefty fines. Face masks are mandatory for workers or visitors at markets, shops, banks, as well as governmental or private institutions until further notice, according to a decree by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly earlier this month.
