Egyptians’ ‘negligence is fueling coronavirus threat’

People walk in front of closed shops in Cairo, Egypt March 19, 2020. (Reuters)

• On Saturday, Al-Azhar and the Egyptian Ministry of Endowments, as well as Coptic Pope Tawadros, decided simultaneously to close mosques and churches
• Egypt’s government has closed schools and universities until the end of March

CAIRO: Many Egyptians are ignoring strict government measures to combat coronavirus and risk adding to the human toll of the global pandemic through negligence, observers warn.
Amr Hashem, a political analyst at Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, condemned what he called “wrong behavior” and said the government should be firmer “to protect Egyptians from themselves.”
The coronavirus pandemic is believed to have killed ten people in the country and infected nearly 300 others.
Egypt’s government has closed schools and universities until the end of March, and suspended flights to and from the country for two weeks from March 19. It has also ordered the closure of coffee shops, restaurants and malls from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. every night for two weeks.
On Saturday, Al-Azhar, the highest religious authority for Muslims, and the Egyptian Ministry of Endowments, as well as Coptic Pope Tawadros, decided simultaneously to close mosques and churches. Friday prayers in mosques were also halted for two weeks.
The measures are in line with additional steps taken by the government to sanitize major streets along with private and public institutions. 
“We have seen through social media how many Egyptians are refusing to heed health instructions or avoid public gatherings. They even mass in some places like wedding halls, coffee shops and supermarkets,” Hashem said.
“We now see some people smuggling hookahs into cafes. We see them making fun of a virus that is claiming hundreds of lives around the world daily.”
Sociology researcher Magda Mustafa said the government’s decisions were “a bit late because they gamble on Egyptian behavior.”
There are 100 million Egyptians and it is extremely difficult to control the behavior of such a large number of people, she said.
“We said on Thursday last week that the Friday prayer must be canceled in mosques to avoid the spread of the virus, and to follow the decisions taken by Saudi Arabia and other countries,” Mustafa said.
“However, our calls were in vain. The minister of endowments himself delivered the Friday prayer sermon before a large number of people. He said in his sermon something to the effect that nobody knows when he will die.
“Why do we take action only after catastrophes happen?” Mustafa asked, predicting a surge in the number of infections in Egypt as a result of mass gatherings during Friday prayers in mosques, in addition to the carelessness by which Egyptians have shown in dealing with the virus. 
Dr. George Atteya, a gastroenterologist, said that Egypt’s Ministry of Health has been giving advice to people through awareness campaigns in print and broadcast media, and even on the streets.
“However, the problem lies in the people themselves,” he said.
Atteya said that Egyptians’ behavior is difficult to change in one day. “The issue is all about a virus, a pandemic that is spreading due to negligence and ignoring hygiene.”
Social media users shared photos showing large gatherings in market places on Friday along with images of coffee shop owners supposedly closing their doors after 7 p.m. but actually leaving them ajar.
Online comments included calls for authorities to impose a curfew to help reduce the number of viral infections.