Egypt said it would resume international flights and allow foreign tourists to some coastal cities that have been least affected by the coronavirus starting from the beginning of July, the cabinet said on Thursday.

Other regular international flights will, however, continue to remain suspended until further notice, cabinet media advisor Hany Younes told Ahram Online.

The tourist governorates with the least number of infections that will open to foreign tourists and international flights are South Sinai, the Red Sea and Marsa Matrouh, the cabinet said in a statement sent to Ahram Online.

Egypt has suspended international flights on 19 March in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus. It has since only allowed its airports to open to domestic, freight and special repatriation flights. 

The government has so far allowed 155 hotels that have met safety protocols to reopen at a reduced occupancy rate to revive its key tourism sector, which has been hit hard by the virus restrictions.

The permitted occupancy rate of the reopened hotels was initially set at 25 percent, but was increased to 50 percent earlier this month.

Egypt has reported 38,284 coronavirus cases as of Wednesday, including 1,342 deaths.

On Wednesday, the government announced it would exempt tourists coming on direct flights to seaside resort cities from visa fees until the end of October, the end of the summer tourism season.

The civil aviation ministry had earlier decided to grant a 50 percent discount on landing and parking fees for planes flying to these cities.