Egypt Eases Guest Limits in Hospitality Sector as Infections Fall

Tourists take lunch on a mountain restaurant amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, south of Cairo, Egypt February 6, 2021. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
Tourists take lunch on a mountain restaurant amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, south of Cairo, Egypt February 6, 2021. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
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Egypt Eases Guest Limits in Hospitality Sector as Infections Fall

Tourists take lunch on a mountain restaurant amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, south of Cairo, Egypt February 6, 2021. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
Tourists take lunch on a mountain restaurant amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, south of Cairo, Egypt February 6, 2021. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

Egypt's cabinet on Sunday eased guest limits for hotels, restaurants, cinemas and theaters to 70% of their capacity from 50 percent at present as coronavirus infections slow, a cabinet statement said.

Egypt has been gradually easing pandemic restrictions since June 1.

Official figures showed 181 new COVID-19 cases were recorded on Saturday, with 27 deaths from the disease.

Last week, Egypt has imposed strict COVID-19 restrictions on all of the country’s entry points, where access without PCR will be granted only to those who received their second vaccine dose at least 14 days before arrival.

Also, Health Minister Hala Zayed affirmed that both Egyptians and foreigners arriving from countries where virus variants were reported will be required to take the DNA test.



Palestinian Health Ministry Says One Dead in Israel West Bank Raid

Demonstrators clash with Palestinian security forces in Nablus in the West Bank (File photo/Reuters)
Demonstrators clash with Palestinian security forces in Nablus in the West Bank (File photo/Reuters)
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Palestinian Health Ministry Says One Dead in Israel West Bank Raid

Demonstrators clash with Palestinian security forces in Nablus in the West Bank (File photo/Reuters)
Demonstrators clash with Palestinian security forces in Nablus in the West Bank (File photo/Reuters)

The health ministry in the occupied West Bank said one person was killed and nine injured in an Israeli raid on a refugee camp, with the Israeli military saying Saturday it had opened fire at "terrorists".

An 18-year-old man, Muhammad Medhat Amin Amer, "was killed by bullets from the (Israeli) occupation in the Balata camp" in the territory's north, the Palestinian health ministry said in a late-night statement, adding that nine people were injured, "four of whom are in critical condition".

According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, the raid began on Friday night and triggered violent clashes, AFP reported.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israeli troops entered the camp from the Awarta checkpoint and "deployed snipers on the rooftops of surrounding buildings".

In a statement on Saturday, the Israeli military said that during the "counterterrorism" operation, "terrorists placed explosives in the area in order to harm (military) soldiers, hurled explosives, molotov cocktails, and rocks and shot fireworks at the forces".

"The forces fired toward the terrorists in order to remove the threat. Hits were identified," the statement said.

Violence in the West Bank has intensified since war broke out in the Gaza Strip after Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

Since then, at least 815 Palestinians have been killed in the territory by Israeli troops or settlers, according to the Palestinian health ministry in Ramallah.

In the same period, Palestinian attacks in the West Bank have killed at least 25 Israelis, according to official Israeli figures.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since conquering it in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.