 | Egypt said on Friday that 15 new hotels and resorts in Hurghada, Sharm Al-Sheikh, Alexandria and Cairo have received the “Hygiene Safety” certificate required to reopen with reduced occupancy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, bringing the total hotels now open nationwide to 125.
According to a statement by the tourism ministry on Saturday, Abdel Fatah El-Asy, Assistant of the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities for Hotels and touristic establishments control said that the new certified hotels include nine in Hurghada, three in Sharm Al-Sheikh one in Alexandria and two in Cairo.
Hotels in Hurghada are Bella Vista, Regina Swiss Inn, Sultan Bey, Dawar Al-Omda, Bellevue, Marriott, Continental Resort, Samra Bay, Club Paradise.
Those allowed to reopen in Sharm El-Sheikh include Charmillion Club Resort, Charmillion Club Aqua Park, and Coral Beach Tiran while Alexandria would see its renowned Windsor Hotel reopening.
Cairo’s Hilton Residence in Zamalek and Um Kalthoum Hotel were granted the necessary certificate for reopening, the statement added.
According to the statement, the ministry is also reviewing several new hygiene safety regulations to be outlined for diving, safaris and all touristic activities as well as the opening of restaurants and cafes like those issued for hotels and resorts.
The new restaurants regulations will be implemented in all restaurants and cafes requiring operation to be ready to receive customers upon the approval and announcement of their future opening to the public.
Friday’s statement comes one day after 11 new hotels located in Alexandria, Suez and South Sinai received the hygiene safety certificate from the ministry.
They include the Plaza Hotel Alexandria, Paradise Inn Le Metropole Hotel, San Giovanni Stanly Hotel and Steigenberger Cecil Alexandria in the Mediterranean city.
In Suez, the hotels which have secured the new hygiene certificate are Ain Sokhna’s Stella Di Mare Golf Hotel, the Stella Di Mare Sea Club Hotel, and the Retal View Resort El Sokhna.
South Sinai’s Marina Sharm El-Sheikh Hotel, Hyatt Regency Sharm El Sheikh Resort, Coral Sea Holiday Resort and Hilton Sharks Bay Resort have also been granted the certificate.
The new regulations require hotels to reduce occupancy rates to 50 percent and implement a range of hygiene procedures, including regular disinfection.
Hotels are not permitted to hold parties, weddings, or overnight activities. Their restaurants can only serve pre-set menus, as buffet services are banned, and dining tables should be set at a safe distance to reduce the risk of virus transmission.
Egypt allowed hotels that secure the new hygiene certificate to open for guests and day users since last month, to revive the tourism sector, which has been hit heavily by pandemic.
The occupancy rate was initially set at 25 percent of capacity, but this month was increased to 50 percent. | | |