Amid a sharp increase in COVID-19 infections, the Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly said that Egypt has not got “the luxury to lockdown,” pointing out that Egypt is one of the least countries regarding losses due to the pandemic.
During a meeting with the heads of the parliamentary committees on Tuesday, Madbouly added that the government realised since the beginning that “Egypt has not got the luxury to lockdown because the people need to earn a living.”
Madbouly explained that a lot of jobs in Egypt are seasonal, so a lockdown could destroy their lives. “The government confronted a challenge that is new for all of mankind, and since last March, it has been clear that the world is dealing with a vague matter,” Madbouly added. Madbouly’s statements are a rare confession that the Egyptian government has put economic interests over the health of the people.
