File Photo: Egypt's Minister of Manpower Mohamed Safaan.
Egypt's Ministry of Manpower announced on Sunday that private sector employees' holiday for Eid El-Fitr will be five days.
In a statement, the ministry explained that the five-day holiday will start on Wednesday 12 May till Sunday 16 May.
Last week Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced that the Eid Al-Fitr holiday will also be five days.
Eid Al-Fitr is one of the two religious holidays in Islam, along with Eid Al-Adha, which falls on the tenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar.
Unlike last week when the mass Eid Al-Fitr prayers were performed at home, this year’s prayers are permitted – with no children allowed – inside mosques that have been previously authorised to host Friday prayers, and with the same precautions set for the weekly sermon.
Among the list of strict precautionary measures announced by the cabinet and meant to curb the spread of the virus during the holiday period, the movement of trip and group buses between governorates is not allowed, with the exclusion of private cars during the five-day holiday.
The parks and public beaches nationwide are shut down; however, private beaches, coffee shops, and restaurants in hotels countrywide are exempted from the newly-imposed decision, while abiding by the 50 percent occupancy regulation.
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