Egypt has so far registered 285 confirmed coronavirus cases including eight deaths. Many on social media had criticised the government for not cancelling weekly Friday prayers and masses at which worshippers crowd into mosques and churches. On March 15, Al-Azhar's Council of Senior Scholars said that governments had the right to shut mosques "to protect people from the coronavirus." Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church on Saturday ordered all its churches to shut their doors and suspend masses for two weeks over coronavirus fears, it said in a statement. Its churches will open their doors for funeral prayers only, which will be restricted to family members.

Source: Dhaka Tribune March 21, 2020 14:26 UTC