Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on Sunday said Egyptian Muslims and Copts have been “one fabric” throughout ages despite “spiteful people’s hate”.

The president, in a Facebook post, extended greetings to the Egyptian people on Easter and Sham El-Nessim, scheduled for Sunday and Monday respectively.

“I greet the great people of Egypt on the occasions of Sham El-Nessim celebrations and the Easter Sunday, which reflect the unity of this nation and the cohesion of its people”.

“Egypt has proved throughout all ages that its Muslims and Christians are one fabric that would never dissipate even though the spiteful people hate it”.

“Long live Egypt and long live its people and army until the Day of Judgment”.

Due to the surge in coronavirus cases, churches have held the masses of Easter and other days of the Holy Week with a limited attendance and under strict preventive measures.

Also, public beaches and parks in many Egyptian governorates as well as a number of nature reserves will close their doors on Sham El-Nessim day to curb large gatherings.

Egyptians celebrate Sham El-Nessim, a public holiday, as one of the oldest annual occasions after Easter Sunday.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, Egyptian families used to get together and head to parks, beaches and other public places to share food and enjoy the open air.

The Holy Week this year also comes in conjunction with the Muslim’s holy fasting month of Ramadan, during which people used to gather at homes and share food, a practice that health authorities warned against amid the pandemic.

Egypt is currently suffering from a third coronavirus wave and the new daily infection toll has topped 1,000 since 27 April for the first time since 9 January.

The country has so far vaccinated around 900,000 people against the pandemic, Mohamed Abdel-Fattah, the undersecretary of the health ministry's Preventive Medicine Department, told media on Saturday.