DW has used either first names or avoided identifying the people in this story to protect their identities. "Everyone was getting to eat meat and think of festivities and everything else when [the pandemic] hit," the cruise operator said. Along with softer-hit resort cities, major archaeological sites will slowly reopen with restrictions and airports and many hotels will resume operations while monitoring the health of incoming visitors. COVID-19 risk in Egypt is high. The virus was confirmed to have reached Egypt on 14 February 2020. After you travel, take the following steps to protect others from getting sick for 14 days after travel: Take these actions to protect others from getting sick: See CDC's After You Travel page for more information. In Egypt’s bustling capital people pack shops, cafes and public transport, many of them disregarding the rules that they should wear face masks in these spaces and keep one meter apart. In the Upper Egyptian city of Luxor, tour guide Eman Mohamed has sensed a notable decline in tourists over the past month, after the outbreak of the coronavirus. Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website. Saving Lives, Protecting People, increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19, US Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Country Information page, Information for Healthcare Professionals about Coronavirus (COVID-19), Know When to Delay Your Travel to Avoid Spreading COVID-19, How CDC Determines the Level of a Destination’s COVID-19 Travel Health Notice, US Department of State: Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), Division of Global Migration and Quarantine (DGMQ), Obtención de atención médica en el extranjero, Zika: A CDC Guide for Travelers infographic, Guidelines for US Citizens and Residents Living in Areas with Zika, Introduction to Travel Health & the CDC Yellow Book. You might feel well and not have any symptoms, but you can be contagious without symptoms and can spread the virus to others. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. But, with a vaccine for the new coronavirus still far off, the country's crippled tourism sector faces a long road. Delay travel if you are waiting for test results, test positive, are sick, or if you have been around someone with COVID-19 in the past 14 days. "Corona is worldwide, and therefore the impediments are air travel and if they find a cure or preventative," he said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website. Egypt has new COVID-19 entry requirements that all travellers need to follow when entering the country. The previous rule was 72 hours. "That business has seen a boom because Egyptians can't go anywhere now, and in reality there are more Egyptians that can't fly out of Cairo for tourism abroad than tourists that would come to Egypt," Faisal said. If you travel, take steps before, during, and after travel to keep yourself and others from getting COVID-19. On March 9, the Government of Egypt also announced that it would provide COVID-19 tests at a cost of 70 USD for foreigners and 1,050 Egyptian pounds for Egyptians. All Egypt’s famed archaeological sites and museums from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo to the Valley of the Kings in Luxor have been shut since Monday as authorities try to prevent coronavirus … "Actually, this weekend you cannot find a single apartment to rent in El Gouna," he said, referring to a town just north of Hurghada. Egypt even topped several "best tourist destination" lists for 2020, including one by the US business magazine Forbes. As reports about the coronavirus’ severity hit global media, February saw delays in Chinese imports at Egyptian ports, but companies listed on the Egyptian Exchange (EGX) filed disclosures claiming their businesses wouldn’t be impacted by the outbreak. For this reason, some items on this page will be unavailable. The COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Travellers from all countries must have proof of a negative PCR test certificate for COVID-19 performed no more than 48 hours before arriving. CDC recommends travelers avoid all nonessential international travel to Egypt. Read more: Egypt muzzles critical journalists on the coronavirus. Tourism accounts for up to 15% of Egypt’s gross domestic product (GDP) and officials have said the country was losing about $1 billion each month since COVID-19 shut borders and airports. Read more: After the revolution, Egypt’s tourism industry fears for future, "I've yet to see how this will happen," said Faisal, who owns a diving company and also charters boats from his fleet. But, in Hurghada, some tourism operators are doubtful that it will bring about a quick recovery. Egypt's gradual reopening is intended to staunch such damage. Similar conditions for Egyptians unable to travel abroad has contributed to a spike in domestic tourism, Faisal said. Egypt is implementing 14-day quarantine periods and other preventative measures in all cases. Where tourists come from will limit the speed of any recovery. Restaurants, cafes, sports clubs and movie theaters are currently allowed … As of the evening of December 2, there were 116,724 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 6,694 deaths in Egypt. Tourism accounts for up to 15% of Egypt's gross domestic product (GDP) and officials have said the country was losing about $1 billion each month since Covid-19 shut borders and airports. Touri… Lebanon and Tunisia have under 50. If you must travel, talk to your doctor ahead of travel, especially if you are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Egypt is not immune to the recessionary trends caused by the sudden halt in supply chains and the sharp decline in demand, domestically and globally, resulting from the rapid spread of the virus. These are also places where it can be hard to social distance. But medical staff in urban centers have complained of an overwhelmed health care system and insufficient testing, while officials have spoken of the need to "coexist" with the virus. A health worker wearing protective gear prepares to take swab sample from a man in his car to test for the coronavirus at a drive-through COVID-19 screening center at Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, June 17, 2020. "When corona hit, it was terrible — not just for us here, but around the world," Mustafa said. Tourism is said to account for more than 12% of Egypt's GDP A wonder of the world, the pyramids at Giza have wowed visitors for millennia. Official warnings about a second wave of coronavirus infections are widely dismissed. If traveling by air, check if your airline requires any health information, test results, or other documents. In Luxor, on the Nile, where Egypt's first major spike of cases was recorded among tourists on a river cruise in March, expectations of a good year ahead had been high. ", Send Facebook Twitter reddit EMail Facebook Messenger Web Whatsapp Web Telegram linkedin, © 2020 Deutsche Welle | Some EU countries are gradually lifting mandatory quarantine on domestic travelers who return home as they reopen borders, but the German government's warning against travel outside the European Union will remain in place until at least August 31, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said. Travel may increase your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. Middle East Egypt tries to restart tourism during coronavirus pandemic Starting July 1, Egypt will reopen select resorts and archaeological sites to foreign tourists. As of Monday, both Egypt and Algeria had between 400 and 500 reported fatalities from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The Egyptian authorities may impose mandatory quarantine for visitors who test positive for coronavirus in a government isolation hospital, potentially in a remote location. Clinicians should obtain a detailed travel history for patients with symptoms of COVID-19 infection. As in other countries, Egypt’s economy is being impacted both through virus containment measures as well as through the sudden stop in tourism, fall in exports, drop in remittances, and lower revenue from the Suez Canal. The idea behind the move was to protect the country from visitors who may have been infected with the coronavirus and would then spread it once in Egypt. Now, operators he works with have already started taking international reservations and he said had seen an increase in sales from his diving equipment business. Do not travel if your test result is positive; immediately isolate yourself, and follow public health recommendations. For more information about this message, please visit this page: Level 4: Very High Level of COVID-19 in Egypt, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Egypt has started operating its hotels once more after almost a month and a half of closure due to coronavirus, amid hopes that the move will put the tourism … When it comes to tourism, coexisting appears to mean balancing a careful resumption of business and the need to restart an industry that accounts for about 15% of the economy, according to analysts quoted by Reuters. "If they come through with that in a couple of years — once people get some assurance they're not going to die — then I think it'll pick back up, if they have the money. If you intend to travel to these areas, consider the risks to your personal safety and ensure you have made appropriate security arrangements. Some sources in Egypt have been sensitive about commenting on the coronavirus pandemic after a number of people were arrested for criticizing the government's response. Attacks on security checkpoints and forces are expected to continue. Airports, bus stations, train stations, and rest stops are all places travelers can be exposed to the virus. Find out more about When to Delay Travel. Travel may increase your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. Tourism accounts for up to 15% of Egypt’s gross domestic product (GDP) and officials have said the country was losing about $1 billion each month since COVID-19 shut borders and airports. The pandemic upended those projections. Some examples of essential travel may include traveling for humanitarian aid work, medical reasons, or family emergencies. "After the [2011] revolution, it took roughly seven years for business to build up slowly again," said the owner of a business that offers cruises on smaller traditional light-draft boats called dahabiyas. Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority has reduced transit fees for cruise ships in a bid to attract more traffic and boost the country’s sagging tourism sector.