Egypt, Algeria relax coronavirus restrictions for Ramadan
Egypt and Algeria are allowing greater civilian movement for the Islamic holy month, as are the United Arab Emirates and Iraq.
Egypt and Algeria are relaxing their coronavirus restrictions as the Islamic holy month of Ramadan begins, joining other countries in the region in doing so.
On Thursday, Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly announced that shopping malls and businesses will be allowed to reopen on weekends, but they will need to close by 5 p.m. The nightly curfew has also been pushed back from 8 p.m. to start at 9 p.m., according to Reuters.
Egypt’s lockdown includes the closure of restaurants, schools and airports. Egyptians can only leave their homes for essential needs during the curfew. Before Thursday's easing, only supermarkets and pharmacies were allowed to operate, and only until 5 p.m. each day.
Algerian Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad announced on Thursday that the curfew in several provinces will be pushed back from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. until 7 a.m. A round-the-clock curfew in Blida province southwest of the capital Algiers will be reduced to 2 p.m. to 7 a.m. The other provinces will continue with a 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew, according to Reuters.
