Palestinian Baker Goes Viral After Inventing 'Corona Cake' Design

Palestinian baker Eyad Abu Rezqa says he wants to raise awareness - and spirits - with his 'corona cake'. AFP
Palestinian baker Eyad Abu Rezqa says he wants to raise awareness - and spirits - with his 'corona cake'. AFP
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Palestinian Baker Goes Viral After Inventing 'Corona Cake' Design

Palestinian baker Eyad Abu Rezqa says he wants to raise awareness - and spirits - with his 'corona cake'. AFP
Palestinian baker Eyad Abu Rezqa says he wants to raise awareness - and spirits - with his 'corona cake'. AFP

As the world tries to raise awareness everyday over the risks of coronavirus, Palestinian baker Eyad Abu Rezqa had his own plans to convince people to stay at home.

Abu Rezqa, who is also head of the Al-Nada bakery in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, has created a 'corona cake' depicting a woman wearing a blue face mask aiming to remind people of the importance of social distancing.

First, he posted the design on social media and now dozens of people are ordering them each day.

Abu Rezqa stressed he was not belittling the risk of the deadly disease which has killed more than 50,000 people but trying to keep spirits up while promoting awareness.

"Straight away it got great interest, customers starting saying 'I want that cake'," Abu Rezqa told AFP.

"Every day our clients' demand for the mask cake is increasing."

The staff making the cakes are wearing protective clothing, he pointed out.

So far Gaza has 12 confirmed cases of COVID-19, all of whom are in isolation, according to health authorities.

Like other countries around the world, authorities have put in place strict social distancing rules to try to prevent contagion but have not yet closed all non-essential businesses.



Acropolis Trims Hours Again Amid Greek Heatwave

A drone view of the empty Acropolis, after the authorities closed the site for the hottest part of the day, as a heatwave grips Athens, Greece, July 8,  2025. REUTERS/Stelios Misinas
A drone view of the empty Acropolis, after the authorities closed the site for the hottest part of the day, as a heatwave grips Athens, Greece, July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Stelios Misinas
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Acropolis Trims Hours Again Amid Greek Heatwave

A drone view of the empty Acropolis, after the authorities closed the site for the hottest part of the day, as a heatwave grips Athens, Greece, July 8,  2025. REUTERS/Stelios Misinas
A drone view of the empty Acropolis, after the authorities closed the site for the hottest part of the day, as a heatwave grips Athens, Greece, July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Stelios Misinas

The Acropolis in Athens will limit its operating hours for a second straight day because of heatwave conditions, the Greek culture ministry said Wednesday.

The ministry in a statement said the world-renowned site would be shut till 5:00 pm (1400 GMT) "for the safety of workers and visitors, owing to high temperatures."

The four-day heatwave confirmed by meteorologists began Sunday and is the second to grip Greece since late June.

Temperatures are expected to reach 41 Celsius (105.8 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, with a maximum of 37 Celsius in Athens, according to national weather service EMY.

The Greek civil protection authority has warned of high fire risk in the greater Athens area, in central Greece and the Peloponnese peninsula on Wednesday.

The heatwave will abate on Thursday.