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Egypt Sees Another COVID-19 Spike

Egyptian security forces cordon off roads in Cairo during curfew hours due to the coronavirus outbreak. (AP)
Egyptian security forces cordon off roads in Cairo during curfew hours due to the coronavirus outbreak. (AP)
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Egypt Sees Another COVID-19 Spike

Egyptian security forces cordon off roads in Cairo during curfew hours due to the coronavirus outbreak. (AP)
Egyptian security forces cordon off roads in Cairo during curfew hours due to the coronavirus outbreak. (AP)

Egypt has seen an increase in the coronavirus cases recording 224 infections on Friday, prompting the authorities to reiterate the importance of adhering to precautionary measures to confront the pandemic.

The Egyptian government urged authorities to take precautions inside public facilities to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and prepare for the second wave of the virus.

Adviser to the President on Health and Prevention Affairs Mohamed Awad Tag Eddin called on citizens to adhere to precautions, adding that President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi urged Egyptians to follow the measures issued by the authorities.

Earlier, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly affirmed the government's readiness to confront the virus at any time.

The Ministry of Health announced that 100 patients were discharged from isolation hospitals after receiving necessary medical care, bringing the total of recovered cases to 100,106 so far.

The Ministry said it would continue to monitor the epidemiological situation of the virus and take all necessary preventive measures against any infectious diseases.

According to the Ministry, the total number of confirmed cases reached 108,754 since the outbreak in the country, including 6,343 deaths.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Local Development called on the governors to coordinate with the security authorities and impose fines on those not wearing the face mask in public transportation.

It also stressed that any facility that did not follow the precautionary measures would be shut down, highlighting the importance of regularly sterilizing buildings and facilities.

Earlier, the Egyptian government warned citizens it might resort to "difficult decisions" if they do not adhere to precautionary measures such as social distancing and protective masks.

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Syria Authorities Say Torched 1 Million Captagon Pills

A man throws a bag onto a pile of burning illicit drugs, as Syria's new authorities burn drugs reportedly seized from a security branch, in Damascus on December 25, 2024. (AFP)
A man throws a bag onto a pile of burning illicit drugs, as Syria's new authorities burn drugs reportedly seized from a security branch, in Damascus on December 25, 2024. (AFP)
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Syria Authorities Say Torched 1 Million Captagon Pills

A man throws a bag onto a pile of burning illicit drugs, as Syria's new authorities burn drugs reportedly seized from a security branch, in Damascus on December 25, 2024. (AFP)
A man throws a bag onto a pile of burning illicit drugs, as Syria's new authorities burn drugs reportedly seized from a security branch, in Damascus on December 25, 2024. (AFP)

Syria's new authorities torched a large stockpile of drugs on Wednesday, two security officials told AFP, including one million pills of captagon, whose industrial-scale production flourished under ousted president Bashar al-Assad.

Captagon is a banned amphetamine-like stimulant that became Syria's largest export during the country's more than 13-year civil war, effectively turning it into a narco state under Assad.

"We found a large quantity of captagon, around one million pills," said a balaclava-wearing member of the security forces, who asked to be identified only by his first name, Osama, and whose khaki uniform bore a "public security" patch.

An AFP journalist saw forces pour fuel over and set fire to a cache of cannabis, the painkiller tramadol, and around 50 bags of pink and yellow captagon pills in a security compound formerly belonging to Assad's forces in the capital's Kafr Sousa district.

Captagon has flooded the black market across the region in recent years.

"The security forces of the new government discovered a drug warehouse as they were inspecting the security quarter," said another member of the security forces, who identified himself as Hamza.

Authorities destroyed the stocks of alcohol, cannabis, captagon and hashish in order to "protect Syrian society" and "cut off smuggling routes used by Assad family businesses", he added.

- Manufacturing sites -

Since an opposition alliance toppled Assad on December 8 after a lightning offensive, Syria's new authorities have said massive quantities of captagon have been found in former government sites around the country, including security branches.

AFP journalists in Syria have seen fighters from the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group set fire to what they said were stashes of captagon found at facilities once operated by Assad's forces.

Security force member Hamza confirmed Wednesday that "this is not the first initiative of its kind -- the security services, in a number of locations, have found other warehouses... and drug manufacturing sites and destroyed them in the appropriate manner".

Maher al-Assad, a military commander and the brother of Bashar al-Assad, is widely accused of being the power behind the lucrative captagon trade.

Experts believe Syria's former leader used the threat of drug-fueled unrest to put pressure on Arab governments.

Jordan in recent years has cracked down on the smuggling of weapons and drugs including captagon along its 375-kilometer (230-mile) border with Syria.