Egypt’s interior ministry has said that, starting Monday, it will resume providing administrative services, including those related to civil status, passports, emigration and nationality, work permits, and those at the criminal evidence department.

The ministry said in a statement on Friday that it will extend working hours at these facilities to 5pm for the month of June.

It urged all citizens visiting its facilities to adhere to all precautionary measures and social distancing rules, and stressed that wearing a mask is mandatory.

Egypt shut down many government offices and public services in March, as well as schools, universities, houses of worship, and many commercial venues, in moves aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus.

The interior ministry has since resumed some services, such as car license renewal at its traffic departments, which reopened in late April.

The curfew imposed in March, which has begun daily at 5pm during this week’s Eid Al-Fitr holiday, will start at 8pm from Saturday, for a period of two weeks.

June will see a partial re-opening of many facilities and services shut down in the wake of the virus, including sports clubs and youth centres, according to Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly.

The reopening may also include places of worship, he said.

Mask wearing will be compulsory inside businesses and offices, in all public facilities, and on private and public transport, starting from Saturday.

Madbouly stressed that there will be tough penalties for violators.

Cases in Egypt have topped 20,000, with 845 deaths.