Egypt lifts restrictions on cafes, clubs, restaurants, theaters

Egypt on Saturday lifted many restrictions put in place to stop spre of coronavirus pandemic, chief among which was  reopening cafes and restaurants. In Cairo, a sprawling and bustling metropolis of some 20 million people, coffee shops reopened to receive in-house customers for first time since mid-March.

Prime Minister Mustafa Mbouly has allowed businesses to reopen but only at 25% seating capacity. Clubs, gyms and aters have also been allowed to reopen along with a limited reopening of mosques and churches.

Many business owners welcomed decision. President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi's government has been keen to save Egyptian ecomy that was hit hard by virus outbreak.

On Friday, International Monetary Fund approved ar $5.2 billion loan for Egypt, to be ded to $2.8 billion fund h alrey promised to stave off pandemic's worst ecomic effects. Before pandemic, Egypt h just emerged from a three-year ecomic reform program that came with securing a $12 billion IMF loan in late 2016.

reopening has been met with criticism, t least because Egypt is still recording relatively high new coronavirus infections and deaths.

Egyptian doctors' union warned last month country was careening toward a catastrophe. Egypt's health ministry has reported more than 62,000 infections, including 2,620 deaths. However, actual numbers of infections and deaths from COVID-19, like elsewhere in world, are thought to be far higher due to a number of reasons including limited testing.