Egypt suspends a Sharm El-Sheikh hotel licence over coronavirus layoffs

Egypt has suspended the licence of a leading hotel in Sheikh El-Sheikh after it laid off workers amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a statement by the tourism ministry.

Egyptian Tourism and Antiquities Minister Khaled El-Anany revoked the hotel’s licence over its failure to adhere to directives issued by the ministry to protect trained labour from layoffs during the coronavirus crisis, the statement read.

The statement did not disclose the name of the hotel.

A few weeks earlier, El-Anany revoked the licence of a hotel in the Red Sea governorate after it failed to pay the wages of its employees.

The minister also ordered the closure of two restaurants in Greater Cairo for not adhering to anti-coronavirus health regulations.

Egypt is imposing a number of conditions for hotels and restaurants, including operating with a maximum of 50 percent of their workforce as well as conducting medical check-ups for staff and measuring their body temperatures daily.

Last week, the government eased some restrictions, enabling restaurants to run delivery and takeaway services throughout the week after it shortened the night-time curfew during Ramadan.