After four days of lockdown, the government now decided on the continuation of the second phase of the progressive reopening of businesses and institutions.
This decision came after several appeals from the commercial and economic sectors to open institutions and stores during the week of Eid El-Fitr to compensate for some of the losses.
Prime Minister Hassan Diab, in a speech after his meeting with the COVID-19 ministerial committee on Sunday, announced the partial reopening of the country.
The government will resort to isolating areas and neighborhoods that have a high number of cases. All of this starting Monday, May 18th.
The Minister of Interior and Municipalities announced the details of the reopening:
#1 All Factories
Factories can open for 24 hours (employees will work in shifts). All employees must adhere to the curfew, social distancing, proper personal hygiene, and constant sterilization.
Factories should all follow the health measures and prevention procedures, including banning gatherings.
#2 Wholesale markets & distribution warehouses
Markets selling vegetables, fruits, fish, meat, and poultry will open from 3 AM till 6 PM.
The municipality police will make sure that these markets will adhere to health conditions and prevention procedures, including preventing gatherings by allowing a maximum of two open entrances to the shop.
Distribution warehouses for medical equipment and drugs can open for 24 hours. Food warehouses will open from 5 AM till 6 PM.
All must adhere to health conditions and prevention procedures as well as ban gatherings.
#3 Stores
Supermarkets, mini markets, dairy shops, as well as vegetables and fruits stores, butchers, and fisheries will open from 5 AM till 7 PM. Customers must adhere to social distancing inside the stores and at cash-out.
Patisseries, sweets shops, bakeries, grinderies, etc. will also open from 5 AM till 7 PM. Customers are not allowed to go into the store. All must adhere to heath measures and prevention procedures.
#4 Institutions
Libraries will open from 8 AM till 6 PM.
Pharmacies are for the syndicate to decide the times of opening and closing. Clinics and medical labs will open from 7 AM until 6 PM. Customers should take turns, avoid gathering, and adhere to social distancing.
Postal companies, stores selling agricultural materials and equipment, shipping companies, dry cleaners, internet and generators companies, TV and Cinema production companies, exchange shops and money transfer, opticians, etc. will open from 8 AM till 6 PM.
They all should adhere to social distancing, constant sterilization, health measures, and prevention procedures. They should limit the number of employees and work from home when and if possible.
Banks are for the syndicate to decide the times of opening and closing. Customers should take turns to prevent crowds.
Financial institutions are awaiting the generalization by the Central Bank to announce the opening and closing times.
Security companies can open for 24 hours. They should abide by health conditions and prevention measures.
Hotels, Airbnbs, and others are open and committing to health conditions.
Internet and generators maintenance can work for 24 hours following health conditions and commuting by vehicles/motorcycles only.
Gas stations will open for 24 hours. Their minimarkets will open from 5 AM till 7 PM.
Restaurants and cafes will open from 5 AM till 7 PM. They will receive 50% of their capacity and will not serve shisha.
Car rentals, barbers, salons, mechanics, etc. will open from 5 AM till 6 PM, adhering to health conditions and social distancing.
Workshops will open from 7 AM till 6 PM every day except for Sundays and on holidays.
Motor Inspection Vehicle will open from 7 AM till 6 PM. They will receive cars according to their license plate numbers.
Public transportation (Vans 14 passengers and busses 24-33 passengers) will work from 5 AM till 7 PM, also according to their plate numbers. Face masks are a must and vehicles should contain no more than the third of their capacities.
Indoor and outdoor swimming pools equipped with chlorine will open from 5 AM till 6 PM.
Sports clubs, indoor and outdoor playgrounds, beaches, the Corniche, public parks, theaters, cinemas, malls, casinos, and indoor sports halls (gyms) remain closed.
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays will be for vehicles with odd license plates.
Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays will be for even license plates.
Sundays’ for both. Curfew’s from 7 PM till 5 AM.
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