Three villages north of Cairo emerge from lockdown
Egyptian authorities isolated three villages to contain the spread of the coronavirus, as hospitals outside the capital struggle to keep up with the increasing number of infections.
Shanshur, a small village in Monufia governorate, north of Cairo, was under full lockdown May 11-22 after 15 of its inhabitants tested positive for the novel coronavirus and three others died of the disease.
The lockdown was first imposed for a week and then renewed for another week in the village along with other two nearby villages: Brasim and Kom Ayad.
All shops in the villages were closed except for pharmacies, grocery stores and butchers. The authorities granted a week's pay to all workers in the public and private sectors and blocked travel to and from the village to everyone except for workers in the food and health sectors.
Security posts were erected at the entrances to the villages, on the main streets and on the streets where affected cases have been identified.
