The United States has now overtaken Italy to have the highest death toll from coronavirus in the world. The latest data, compiled by Johns Hopkins University, shows more than 20,000 people in the US have now died. The grim milestone comes shortly after the US became the first nation to record more than 2,000 virus deaths in a single day. The governor of New York Andrew Cuomo said on Saturday the state s death toll appeared to be stabilising. Announcing a 24-hour figure of 783 new deaths, he noted the last several days had seen around the same number. "That is not an all-time high, and you can see that the number is somewhat stabilising but it is stabilising at a horrific rate," Mr Cuomo said. "These are just incredible numbers depicting incredible loss and pain." New York state has become the epicentre of the outbreak in the US, recording more than 180,000 of the country s nearly 530,000 cases. More than 100,000 have now died with the virus around the world since the pandemic broke out in China in December. What is the latest across the US? As of early Sunday, Italy had reported 19,468 coronavirus deaths while the US had 20,608, according to the Johns Hopkins tally. There are now at least 529,951 recorded cases of Covid-19 across the US. Dr Anthony Fauci, US infectious diseases chief, has said the country is "starting to see the levelling off and coming down" of cases and deaths but says mitigation efforts such as social distancing should not be pulled back yet. Federal social distancing recommendations, issued by President Donald Trump, are currently in place until 30 April. The president is facing twin pressures from the outbreak: with at least 16 million jobs lost in recent weeks as virus restrictions cripple the country s economy. He said on Friday that a new council, made up of business and medical figures, would be announced next week to help him with the "biggest decision I ve ever had to make" on when to relax measures. It comes as Congress continues to spar over the next stage of Covid-19 financial relief. Democrats want a new proposed $250bn (£200bn) bill to help small businesses to also allow for additional funding for hospitals and local governments. But on Saturday the two top Republicans in Congress, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, rejected the demand. In a statement they described the move as a "reckless threat" which blocked "job-saving funding".

In its second week since the launch of Screens and Streams initiative, the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC) released new films and music representing works that the fund has been supporting over the 14 years of its activities across the Arab region. Available online, for free, the releases are available from 9 to 14 April representing a new selection of Arab independent films produced between 2008 and 2016 and a playlist compiling twenty AFAC-supported music tracks from ten albums. According to the information released by AFAC, the selection of films and music will be refreshed on weekly basis under the title of Screens and Streams . The film releases are a rethought adaptation of the annual AFAC Film Weeks. In music segment, AFAC releases a compilation of twenty tracks from ten music albums. The tracks include Maryam Saleh, Tamer Abu Ghazaleh and Maurice Louca – Lekhfa; Wassim Halal – Le Cri du Cyclope; Yacine Boulares – Suite for Abu Sadiya; Kabreet – Momken Bokra; Hello Psychaleppo – Toyour; Maias Alyamani – A Decade of Maqam Ensemble; Oumi – Imaginary Dance; Ghassan Sahhab – Sharqi (My Orient); Alaa Zouiten – Talking Oud; and Asaad Kamal Hamzy – Three Dances Suite. Music is available on Spotify (link here) and Anghami (link here) Established in 2007, the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture is an independent initiative that funds individuals and organizations in the fields of cinema, performing arts, literature, music and visual arts while facilitating cultural exchange, research and cooperation across the Arab world and globally.

The Faculty of Communication and Mass Media at the British University in Egypt (BUE) announced that it will hold an online festival for films shedding light on life in the times of coronavirus. The festival is accepting entries from students enrolled in all departments of Egyptian and Arab universities. Carrying the name of Quarantine Media and Film Festival, the event accepts documentary films, fiction films, podcasts, and advertisement media, stressing that the production should be done at home. The works can be done with home-based tools, for example mobile cameras. Films and podcast durations should range between three and five minutes. A podcast can be created in English or Arabic, while films should include subtitles. The jury of the festival includes numerous renowned figures in film and media. The entries are accepted starting 15 April until 7 May. For more information, please contact the British University in Egypt at info@bue.edu.eg or through the BUE s website.

Disney has postponed the cinematic release of over 12 movies as a result of the coronavirus pandemic forcing cinema and movie theater closures all around the world. Among the postponed films are the latest additions in the Marvel Cinematic Universe such as “Black Widow” (2020) starring Scarlett Johansson, “The Eternals” (2020) starring Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek and sequels to “Thor” and “Dr Strange”. “Black Widow” was pushed to November, while an unnamed Marvel film set to be released in the summer of 2022 was dropped from the schedule entirely. Officials of the National Theater Owners Association said in an online seminar that theaters should reopen by late May or June, with social distancing policies in place. Disney s 2020 live-action remake of its animated fantasy “Mulan” (1998) will be released in July. Disney has also moved to release its newest film “Artemis Fowl” (2020) on its Disney Plus digital streaming service, completely bypassing a cinema release. No dates been set for its theatrical debut.

The Mahy Khalifa Art Fund and Scholarship was recently inaugurated in collaboration with Art d Egypte. The Fund was created by Dina Shehata and Karim Abou Youssef in memory of Mahy Khalifa, an art lover and collector, who passed away in July 2019. Khalifa was an interior designer and was the author of two books on Egyptian homes which were published by Dar El Shorouk. In the official press release, Dina Shehata, the daughter of Mahy Khalifa expressed that her mother “had a strong passion for the arts and had over her lifetime put together a varied and valuable art collection that comprised Egyptian modernist and contemporary artists, in addition to European orientalist and contemporary art work. My husband and I wanted to honor her memory by creating an art fund and scholarship for Egyptian artists in her name.” The first initiative of the Mahy Khalifa Art Fund is an art scholarship for graduate studies in Europe. The scholarship is an opportunity for Egyptian students seeking to pursue their studies in the field of the arts to take their career to the next level. The Mahy Khalifa Art scholarship aims at providing the needed resources and exposure to ambitious young talents, and to help nurture a new generation of artists, art scholars, curators and more. The Mahy Khalifa Art Fund is managed by Art d Égypte, a platform that aims to promote Egyptian art on an international level. Art d Égypte organizes annual exhibitions that showcase contemporary Egyptian art in a heritage site linking the country s rich past with its creative present. Art d Égypte s first exhibition titled Eternal Light took place in 2017 at the Egyptian Museum, and was followed by the second exhibit, Nothing Vanishes, Everything Transforms which took place at the Manial Palace (2018). In 2019 Reimagined Narratives, the third annual exhibition, was on view at four historic locations along Al-Muez Street in the UNESCO world-heritage site of Historic Cairo. Art d Egypte s primary goal is to educate the Egyptian public about the importance of art as a form cultural preservation, and to make art accessible or all. In collaborating with important initiatives such as the Mahy Khalifa Art Fund, Art D Egypte helps advocate for art mobility, one of the primary goals of UNESCO s convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expression.

In advance of the launch of streaming service HBO Max, HBO will seek to ease the act of social distancing by making 500 hours of programming available free for a limited time, under the heading #StayHomeBoxOffice. The promotion kicks off April 3, and will include free streaming of such series as “The Sopranos,” “The Wire” and “Veep,” as well as HBO documentaries and an assortment of Warner Bros. movies. Many of the films are aimed at kids or a family audience, such as “Pokemon Detective Pikachu,” “Smallfoot” and “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part.” The programming will be available to stream without a subscription on HBO Now and HBO Go. Other series included in the promotion are “Succession,” “Barry,” “Silicon Valley” and “Ballers,” as well as the older titles “True Blood” and “Six Feet Under.” HBO Max, the company s streaming venture, is scheduled to launch in May. HBO, Warner Bros. and CNN are all units of WarnerMedia. Several entertainment companies have juggled release dates to serve the vast audience hunting for something to watch while living through shelter-at-home orders due to coronavirus. Separately, TNT — another WarnerMedia network — announced that it would move up by two weeks, to May 17, the premiere of “Snowpiercer,” the dystopian sci-fi series based on the movie by “Parasite” director Bong Joon Ho.

A spark of good news (and joy?) out of Netflix: The streaming service has renewed “The Circle” and “Love Is Blind” and announced a new show from Marie Kondo. “The Circle,” a so-called “social experiment competition,” premiered at the start of the year, wooing viewers with a premise that combined catfishing, isolation and a $100,000 prize. On Tuesday, Netflix renewed it for two seasons. Dating show “Love Is Blind,” hosted by Nick and Vanessa Lachey, premiered in February and also earned a two season renewal from Netflix. New seasons of both shows are set to premiere next year. Netflix also renewed music competition series “Rhythm + Flow.” “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” made a star of its host in 2019, and more than a year later, Netflix has finally announced a new project with her. In “Sparking Joy with Marie Kondo,” Kondo sets out to “tidy one small town in America, sparking joy in big new ways,” according to a description. “It s been incredible to see Netflix members everywhere respond to the raw, authentic stories of real people and real stakes,” said Brandon Riegg, Netflix s vice president of nonfiction series and comedy specials. “We pride ourselves on creating a favorite show for any taste, and we re thrilled fans embraced all of these series with such enthusiasm and shared passion. We look forward to sparking more joy for our members.

The Egyptian Cultural Production Sector headed by theatre director Khaled Galal is continuing its efforts in disinfecting and sterilising cultural venues in the country. Galal revealed that several buildings have already been disinfected, including Hanager Centre for Arts (a venue that comprises a theatre hall, a cinema hall, a large cafeteria and rooms for artists), the Greater Cairo Library in Zamalek and its Islamic Civilisation Library branch. The disinfection operations continue at other venues under the Cultural Production Sector, which operates under Egypt s Ministry of Culture. In addition, Galal revealed that the number of employees has been significantly reduced in all venues to curb the spread of the coronavirus. He also added that all employees suffering from serous chronic diseases and pregnant women have been given an exceptional paid leave in compliance with a decree by the prime minister. For the employees who are present at the venues, the fingerprint attendance system has been suspended and all worker have been instructed about the preventative measures.

The movie-TV divide has been blurring and evolving for some time, as streaming and other at-home diversions grow. With concerns about coronavirus have suddenly ruptured public pastimes, the question is whether that shift will be seriously hastened. Movie studios have acted to make films available at home on a faster timetable in response to the virus, in a gesture that is both public-spirited and practical. With theaters closing, Universal movies like “The Hunt” and “The Invisible Man” can capitalize on money the studio spent marketing them now — hoping to recoup at least some of that investment while they re still fresh in people s minds. Even before coronavirus, fast-advancing technology has already played a role in this equation. Still, as Indiewire columnist Anne Thompson noted, Universal s boldest move — bypassing theaters and making the animated movie “Trolls World Tour” available as video on demand — is the kind of experiment that “makes exhibitors crazy.” The raging debate in entertainment circles is whether the move toward streaming content into the home at a premium price will fundamentally alter the model for the exclusive window that theaters enjoyed, and have fought hard to sustain. Studios have been angling for more flexibility on that score, while services like Netflix have demonstrated the appetite for movies with theatrical and even Oscar credentials principally being watched on TV. For its part, the National Association of Theater Owners put out a statement with a sober but generally optimistic longterm appraisal, saying that based on the economics for major blockbuster movies “it is our understanding from discussions with distributors that the vast majority of deferred releases will be rescheduled for theatrical release as life returns to normal.” There are, like virtually everything else related to this period, a lot of things we simply don t know. Under one scenario, people who have already become increasingly accustomed to cocooning at home with various streaming services might slide farther along those lines, faster, going forward. Another prospect is that pent-up demand for movies in theaters will eventually come roaring back, whenever the situation improves, as people crave the experience. For those who remember whooping with an audience when, say, Captain America caught Thor s hammer in “Avengers: Endgame” — or during the climax of “Get Out” — there s no denying that communal thrill. A third outcome, perhaps, falls somewhere in between. Consumers have already grown accustomed to the convenience of seeing movies — especially certain kinds of movies — at home. Plus, they have a greater variety and abundance of series, documentaries and more to scratch various itches than ever before. At the same time, certain genres are made to be consumed with an audience in a darkened theater — feeding off shared reactions — with horror, action and certain comedies foremost among them. Although there is no direct precedent for the current cultural upheaval, in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, author Haynes Johnson appeared on ABC s “Nightline” and was asked whether the US would ever return to the same level of public participation. Sounding a reassuring note, Johnson said that after a time, society would “go back to our delights and diversions.” The question to be answered at a later date is to what extent and where we ll consume those diversions. While those who follow Hollywood continue to speculate, the truth is that everyone right now is in the dark.

Egyptian violinist Mohamed Adel took to his Cairo balcony to give an evening concert for the neighborhood amid a curfew and a shutdown of cultural activities. The two-week-long curfew has been in effect since Wednesday 25 March (from 7pm to 6 am) as part of stricter measures to reduce the spread of the coronavirus in Egypt. Adel explains that the idea for the balcony concert was given to him by his relative Mahmoud Saad, who plays saxophone and who joined Adel in segments of his balcony performances. "Mahmoud showed me videos of musicians performing on balconies in other countries and I loved the idea," Adel revealed to Ahram Online. "At the same time, as a musician I found it a great way of playing my part during the situation we are in," Adel said. "I began studying violin in my final school years," reveals the 24-year-old musician and graduate of the faculty of commerce at Helwan University, adding that he studied violin and composition with numerous musicians in Cairo and took online master classes. The first balcony performance was held immediately after the curfew went into effect. "My brother and I placed speakers on the balcony and I began playing." The music attracted the attention of neighbors who stood at the windows of nearby buildings to listen to Adel play the violin. "I did not expect such a positive response, many people began to applaud the idea vigorously. People were very happy." Though at first Adel planned for a limited repertoire, he soon expanded it. "I decided to continue in the following days. Currently I perform every day at 7:30pm and stream the concert online so the initiative can reach people outside my neighborhood," Adel adds. Adel s livestreams are available on his Facebook page Mohamed Adel - OBIT "With everyone staying at home, especially during the curfew hours, musicians can play a role. I hope more musicians perform their repertoire on balconies," he said, adding that such small gestures can mean a lot to people who are shut in behind closed doors.

A real shock wave is currently shaking cinemas, artists, filmmakers and film buffs in Egypt, overturning almost the entire cultural calendar of the country. Like many other industries, the world of cinema is feeling the brunt of the spread of the coronavirus. As part of the strengthed measures to combat the virus, the Egyptian prime minister announced new measures, prime among which is the closing of cinemas until the end of March. "We are living in a tough and historic war, that against the Covid-19 pandemic, a war which is dangerous and during which priority must be given to the health of individuals and not to the means of entertaining them", underlines the producer Farouk Sabri, president of the Film Industry Chamber. The economic impact is difficult to assess at this time. "We are currently unable to quantify them, as the situation can change from day to day," adds Sabri. Since last week, cinema managers have closed their theatres, multiplexes or neighbourhood cinemas for several weeks. "It s sad, it s even terrible for all the operators and staff of the projection rooms," sighs Gawdat Michael, manager of Galaxy cinemas in New Cairo. "However, we strictly respect all decisions and measures taken by the state to maintain our health, or rather our life," he said. Increasingly dark halls Already affected by a drop in attendance since the spread of the coronavirus began in late November, some large theatres are suffering from the decision, while others wanted to welcome the public at all costs. Today, the consequences are clearly felt in the dark halls. "During the mid-school vacation, a magical period of leisure, ticket sales were not up to par at all," said Mohamad Nabil, director of the Tiba movie theatre. According to the most conservative estimates, "this crisis could lead to a loss of EGP 100 million and slow down the progress of an industry which had yet finished the year 2019 with fanfare", estimates Said Al-Sayegh, a specialist in Egyptian box office monitoring at the production company Oscar. According to figures made available by the production companies, ticket sales recorded EGP 48.7 million from 1 January to 15 March 2019, compared to only EGP 29.2 million during the same period this year. "Losses will certainly double," he predicted. In addition, the possibility of a prolonged closure or limitation of spectators is worrying, especially since the lack of revenue directly threatens the remuneration of many artists and professionals. However, the crisis seems to have only just begun, while concerns are mounting: who will compensate for the shortfall of owners and operators already affected and those who will be affected in the event of an extended closure? "Certainly not insurance, which covers the economic loss of cinemas in the event of epidemiological risk or administrative closure," said Mohamed Nabil. For the latter, the sector will not be able to be satisfied with the deferral of the payment of taxes and rents or the compensation of wages on this technical unemployment. "Emergency solutions are absolutely necessary. This is what has happened in Italy or China, support from the state will be more than appreciated, "he said. Box office paralysis On the production side, we are also starting to feel the uncertainty and anxiety rising. Before cinemas were forced to close, some production and distribution companies were already concerned about the impact of the pandemic on the release of their films. Several studios have decided to postpone the release of their next films. "There is a growing fear among producers, which could ultimately result in the blocking of the entire industry," noted Nevine Rashad, director of the Sun City movie theater complex. Among the films the release of whichwas postponed is Maria, a new fiction about the Lebanese singer Maya Nasri, written by Ahmed Anwar and directed by Moataz Hossam. The release of this film was scheduled for 18 March, but current incidents have forced the distributors to postpone the release to a later date, one that is not yet announced. Another feature film reported: Aaz Al-Weld (The Dearest of Children), starring Mervat Amin, Dalal Abdel-Aziz and Sherine. Co-written by Sherif Naguib and Georges Azmi and produced by Sara Nouh, the film is expected to see the light during the Grand Bairam (Eid Al-Adha) season falling in summer. Cancellation of festivals The festivals continue to cancel their activities, some gearing for the postponement. Let s start with the Visions Festival for Short Film, founded and chaired by Malek Khouri, professor of cinema at the American University in Cairo. The third edition of this event, which was scheduled this year from 11 to 19 March, has just been postponed, while opting for a new format. "Respecting the global and Egyptian conditions that threaten all of society, we still refuse to completely cancel the holding of this edition of the festival, which led us to make it virtual this year, by screening the films selected on our Facebook page," Malek Khouri comments. A few days ago, the organisers of the Ismaili Festival for Documentary and Short Films, which was to be held in Ismailia from 8 to 17 April, postponed their event. After being confident, the festival management finally declared having arranged with the Ministry of Culture to postpone the festival to August. "The Ismailia Festival must remain an exceptional event," said critic Essam Zakariya, president of the festival, in a statement. “Given the current state of the global fight against the Covid-19, we will not be able to keep it on the pre-announced date, especially with all the activities that we have planned for. This article was first published in Al Ahram Hebdo 25 March 2020 issue.

Cairo Opera House has organized an online concert for Thursday, March 26 at 9 pm featuring a collection of pieces by famed Egyptian composer Omar Khairat, as part of the initiative “Khalek fe al-Beit..Thakafa ben eadeak” [Stay home..Culture in your hands], the Cairo Opera House announced in a recent Facebook post. The concert will be streamed on Culture Ministry s YouTube channel and will be attended by Ali al-Hajar, Medhat Saleh, Reham Abdel-Hakim and Amina Khairat as well. Egypt s Culture Ministry announced in a statement last week that it would begin broadcasting concerts, ballets, plays, and short films from the Ministry s archives on its YouTube channel and social media accounts, to encourage Egyptians to stay home amid the coronavirus outbreak. The Egyptian Culture Ministry s Youtube channel broadcast the ballet version of the iconic puppet musical El Leila El Kebira on Wednesday at 9 pm as part of the same initiative. Omar Khairat is a famous Egyptian composer and pianist and the founder and conductor of the Omar Khairat Band. He was born in Cairo and raised in a family of musicians. His uncle, Abou-Bakr Khairat, is the great Egyptian composer of classical music, part of the first generation of such composers in Egypt. An architect by profession, About-Bakr Khairat studied privately in Paris and founded the Cairo Conservatoire, which is regarded as the premier music conservatory in Egypt. Omar Khairat, About-Bakr Khairat s nephew, entered the observatory in 1959, studied piano with Italian Maestro Vincenzo Carro, and took courses in music theory and composition at Trinity College in England. Khairat, whose music is said to bridge the divide between contemporary Egyptian and Western genres, has composed a number of works, including The Magic Perfumes (1989) and Arabic Rhapsody (1992). His compositions have been featured in various movies and TV shows and he has performed at the Cairo Opera House a number of times.

The Egyptian Culture Ministry s Youtube channel will broadcast the El Leila El Kebira ballet on Wednesday at 9 pm, the Cairo Opera House said in a Facebook post. The broadcast is part of the initiative “Stay at home.. Culture in your hands,” which was launched by Culture Minister Enas Abdel-Dayem as part of the efforts curb the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). The ballet, which is performed by the Cairo Opera Ballet Company and accompanied by the Cairo Opera Orchestra, is directed by Abdel Moneim Kamel, who transformed the El Leila El Kebira marionette musical into a ballet. Created in the 1960s by late puppeteer Nagy Shaker and set to poetry by Salah Jahin and music by Sayed Mekkawi, El Leila El Kebira is the Arab world s most iconic puppet show. The fantastical story follows the night of moulid, a festival celebrating the Prophet Mohamed s birthday, and the show features a cast of colorful, comedic characters, with clowns and even a lion tamer making appearances. The musical was an instant success in 1960, its lovable characters having resonated with children and adults alike. Egypt s Culture Ministry announced in a statement last week that it would begin broadcasting concerts, ballets, plays, and short films from the Ministry s archives on its YouTube channel and social media accounts, to encourage Egyptians to stay home amid the coronavirus outbreak. In a related context, MBC Masr channel has also launched a campaign entitled “Fi al-Beit Khalek..we hanslek” (Stay home..We will entertain you), calling on people to stay inside and commit to social distancing as much as possible to contain the spread of the virus.

The Egyptian Tourism Federation (ETF) has moved to reduce the daily presence of workers in Cairo and Giza hotels by 50 percent and is committed to continue paying salaries to all workers throughout the coronavirus outbreak, with over 300 confirmed cases and 14 deaths having been recorded in the country so far. ETF measures taken to confront the coronavirus include a donation for the purchase 160,000 kits to conduct real-time coronavirus tests for workers in the tourism sector. The purchase of the testing kits come in addition to efforts to sanitize hotel and tourist establishments, and the ETF has contracted with two international companies specialized in the field of health and safety with the goal of sterilizing all hotels and resorts across Egypt. Information about public health and the COVID-19 outbreak has been made available to various hotel workers. The tourism sector is one of the most severely impacted sectors of the economy by the coronavirus outbreak, which has undermined tourism and the airline industry worldwide. Tourism is a vital sector in Egypt. Revenue from the sector jumped to a record high of $US 12.57 billion in the financial year that ended last July. The tourism sector also accounts for about 12% of Egypt s gross domestic product, and Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said previously that losses to EgyptAir caused by the country s flight suspension would reach LE 2.5 billion. “We know that the decisions are tough and not easy, and we know that there are big losses for many sectors,” the Prime Minister said during a press conference after announcing the March 19-March 31 flight suspension. He continued: “We have to get prepared when flights return to receive tourists.” The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities on Saturday announced that all museums and archaeological sites in Egypt will be closed from March 23 until March 31. On Friday, Egypt s Hurghada International Airports saw the departure of “thousands” of European tourists on empty planes, which were allowed to enter to organize return flights for foreigners stranded in Egypt after the flight ban announcement. Two days before the flight suspension went into effect, Red Sea governor Amr Hanafi announced that he would suspend domestic tourism in the area and implement new measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus, including isolating workers in the tourism sector at hotels, tourist villages, bazaars and restaurants and placing them under quarantine for 14 days. Harsh measures have also been imposed in Daqahlia Governorate to contain the outbreak of the virus, with at least 300 families having been placed under quarantine. During the suspension period, awareness sessions will be held for employees at museums and tourist sites on ways to prevent the spread of the virus, according to a statement from the Tourism and Antiquities Ministry. Egypt also shut down schools for two weeks starting March 15, suspended Friday prayers and congregational prayers in mosques nationwide as of Saturday, March 21, and moved to close churches that same day. Over the weekend, Egypt confirmed 33 new coronavirus cases and four additional deaths, bringing the total number of cases confirmed so far in the country to 327. The new deaths included a 51-year-old woman, an 80-year-old man, a 73-year-old man, and a 56-year-old man, according to Health Ministry Spokesperson Khaled Megahed. At least 14 people have died from the virus in Egypt. They include a 78-year-old Italian national, a 70-year-old Egyptian from Cairo Governorate, a 72-year-old German national who passed away in Luxor Governorate, a 50-year-old Egyptian man from Daqahlia Governorate, a 60-year-old Egyptian woman from Daqahlia, a 60-year-old German tourist who tested positive in the Red Sea resort town of Hurghada after having traveled in Luxor, a 68-year-old man who died in an isolation hospital in Giza governorate, a 60-year-old Egyptian national who had returned from Italy, a 68-year-old Egyptian woman, and a 75-year-old Egyptian man from Giza Governorate. Major Generals Shafie Abdel-Halim Dawood and Khaled Shaltout have also succumbed to the virus.

The brainchild of theatre maker Hytham Elhawary, Egypt s first Online International Theatre Festival will take place between 27 and 30 March. The initiative comes in response to the shutdown of all activities involving large public gatherings in the country. The idea came when Elhawary had to postpone the 5th edition of the Youth of the South Theatre Festival (YSTF), which was scheduled for April and each year brings theatrical activities to southern Egyptian governorates, holding many creative activities in towns and villages. "Due to the circumstances we are all going through, we had to postponed the 5th edition of the Youth of the South Theatre Festival (YSTF). Why not go online, I thought. Isn t it a suitable way of keeping in touch with all theatre practitioners and our audiences?" Elhawary, who is also the YSTF s president, told Ahram Online. The online festival is organised by the artistic association that Elhawary manages (the Seen Association for Arts and Culture), in cooperation with Tunisia s Spring Festival for Theatre and is aligned with the International Theatre Institute (ITI). "We rely a lot on cooperation with the Tunisian festival in marketing and promoting the online event as well as in creating vibrant links with international theatre practitioners," Elhawary adds. According to Elhawary, the online festival accepts entries from all around the world until 26 March and the chosen plays will be presented between 27 and 30 March on the online platforms of the YSTF and the Tunisian festival. The plays duration should not exceed 60 minutes. While the Youth of the South Theatre Festival targets specific theatrical content with productions capitalising on showcasing and promoting the heritage and folkloric arts, the online festival opens up to all topics. "Preliminarily we were planning to present two plays per day, but due to a high number of submissions, we will include three plays daily. The plays will be uploaded online with a discussion option available for the audiences," Elhawary reveals. Apart from the discussions encouraged by the management, Elhawary also reveals that the festival will upload the workshops/lectures given by the theatre specialists. "The coronavirus outbreak and the closure of all artistic activities should not stop us from reaching out to each other and to our audiences. Though we do not present theatre on the stages, we won t stop our life. We should go outside the box and the online activities are a perfect way of doing so." Elhawary also sees this as an opportunity to implement this format in the long-run. “We will definitely go for more editions of the festival. This one is just the beginning and I am sure we will learn a lot throughout the festival s days and we will implement possible expansions in the event s upcoming editions.”

The Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theatre (CIFET) is one of two large-scale state-run festivals taking place in Egypt (the second being the Cairo International Film Festival). The festival s 27th edition will kick off 1 September 2020, the event s new management announced. For years, the festival was presided over by the head of the Academy for Theatrical Arts, Fawzi Fahmy, and later replaced by Sameh Mahran. The festival s 27th edition will be headed by Alaa Abdel Aziz Suleiman, a young theatre maker who steps in with numerous changes and adjustments. One of the fundamental decisions taken by Suleiman is bringing back the festival s original name — the Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theatre — which it held since the event s founding in 1988 until 2010. The festival s continuity was interrupted by the January 2011 revolution and the many changes that took place in Egypt s artistic scene in the following years. After five-year hiatus, the festival returned in 2016 with its 23rd edition and a new name: the Cairo International Festival for Experimental and Contemporary Theatre (CIFCET). Adding the term “contemporary" to the festival s name triggered criticism from some theatre practitioners and experts, pointing to the confusion in terminology (whereas “experimental" specifies the format, “contemporary" refers to the time aspect). With Suleiman dropping the word “contemporary" from the festival s title, the event opens up to all theatrical texts and capitalises on innovative theatrical works that embed new concepts and techniques in stage production. Suleiman also announced that Fawzi Fahmy will be the festival s honorary president. An Egyptian theatre academic and former head of the Academy of Theatrical Arts, Fahmy played a crucial role in laying the ground for CIFET in the 1980s and remained its president for several editions. As Suleiman underscored, Fahmy has left an important fingerprint on the festival, while being a mentor and professor of a generation of theatre makers, many of whom are involved in CIFET today. Suleiman has also decided to bring back the festival s competitive character, one that characterised the event between 1988 and 2010. The prizes will be awarded for best performance, best director, best scenography, best actor and best actress. Throughout its editions, the festival expanded, and the number of troupes hosted also grew. In the 2000s, the number of performances reached over 50 international troupes, making it a highly competitive festival but also demanding a huge budget for its execution. Upon the festival s return after the 2011 revolution, the event dropped its competitive character, and limited the number of performances. The festival overhaul announced by Suleiman points to his aspiration to revive the values that the event embodied in its first years following its launch. Suleiman announced that the festival will kick off 1 September, a date the festival occupied during its first two decades, before later moving between mid-September and October.

MBC Masr channel launched on Thursday a campaign entitled “Fi al-Beit Khalek..we hanslek” (Stay home..We will entertain you), calling on people to stay inside as much as possible to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Egypt. MBC announced a diverse entertainment program as part of the campaign, including airing everyday at noon the series “Captain Anoush” (2017) starring Bayoumi Fouad and Abeer Sabry, and the series “Lamay al-Qot (2017)” starring Mohamed Imam and Tara Emad, broadcast everyday at 2:00 pm. “Saheb El-Saada” (Owner of Happiness; 2014) starring Adel Emam and Lebleba will be available to watch at 7:00 pm, while the Shaqet Faisal series starring Karim Mahmoud Abdel Aziz and Ayten Amer will broadcast at 9:00 p.m. At 8 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, viewers can also tune in to enjoy the comic performances in “Masrah Masr” (Theater of Egypt; 2014) starring Ashraf Abdel Baqy, as well as a selection of other comedy stars. The comedic program “Asaed Allah Masaekom men Gadid” (Have happy nights once more), starring Akram Hosny, will be available to watch at 9:00 pm on Saturdays. A collection of Arabic films, comedies, foreign films, Bollywood films, and various TV shows will be available everyday at 1:00 am. Egypt s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly moved on Thursday to close all restaurants, cafes, cafeterias, casinos, nightclubs, bars, malls, shops and mobile food carts nationwide, from 7:00 pm until 6:00 am each day through March 31, as part of efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus (COVID 19) outbreak. Delivery services, as well as stores selling essential foodstuffs of medicines like groceries, pharmacies and supermarkets, are exempted from the decree. Egypt announced on Wednesday evening 14 new cases of coronavirus, raising the total to 210. Six people have died from COVID-19 in Egypt.

Egyptian-Hungarian sisters Amira Abouzahra and Mariam Abouzahra won the highest awards at the 13th edition of the International Arthur Grumiaux Competition for Young Violinists, which was held between 12 and 15 March in Brussels, Belgium. The news was revealed by the violinists father, Ahmed Abouzahra, who is an Egyptian pianist and cultural manager, on his Facebook page shortly after the win. Abouzahra shared photos of his daughters holding the certificates. Amira won the first prize for the performance in Category C (14 to 18 years old), while Mariam won the second prize in Category B (10 to 14 years old). "This competition is one of the most prestigious competitions for young violinists worldwide and it is held every year in Brussels, Belgium," Ahmed Abouzahra said in the post. Born to an Egyptian father and Hungarian mother, both girls have made their mark in the international music scene, performing extensively at prestigious music halls and garnering awards. Amira and Mariam come from an artistic family, with both parents being pianists, while their grandfather Abdelrahman Abouzahra is one of the most renowned Egyptian actors of his generation. One of the most prestigious competitions for young violinists, the 13th edition of the Grumiaux International Competition for Young Violinists takes place at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. This year, the competition saw 121 applicants from 38 countries, while 64 young musicians were selected for the final competition. The competition closed on 15 March with the laureates concert.

Leading Egyptian band Massar Egbari has announced that it will hold an online concert next week. “The preliminary date of the concert is Tuesday 24 March at 11pm Cairo time. However, this might be changed depending on the feedback from our fans,” Ayman Massoud, Massar Egbari s keyboard player, revealed to Ahram Online. The band announced their project late on Monday, inviting the fans to share their ideas regarding the repertoire they would like to listen to, the recording location and the best time for the event. The band used their Facebook page and Instagram account as primary platforms for the announcement. “We are thinking of including a few of our new songs, but we are also welcoming suggestions from the fans,” Massoud said, stressing the importance of interaction with the listeners in the concert s preparation phase. “For the online concert, we want to move outside the studio space. Maybe our listeners would like to see us in a specific location or they will have other suggestions.” The band s decision comes amid preventive measures by the government to contain the spread of the coronavirus, including closing down cultural venues and the cancellation of the concerts. As such, online platforms remain the only channel of direct interaction between artists and their audiences. “We had several concerts planned for March and April, in Egypt and internationally. They are all cancelled or postponed. Meanwhile, a big segment of the population prefers to stay home, and the internet becomes their source of entertainment. So it feels natural to hold an online concert,” Massoud explains. Scores of Egyptian and international musicians and artists are affected by the cancellation of cultural activities. Speaking on behalf of the whole band, Massoud underlines that this lock down is necessary as we must take all preventive measures. “As artists, however, we can still offer something interesting to our fans. Temporarily shifting to online concerts can add some positive vibes to the cultural stagnation we are all going through.” The band is still considering the right platform to hold the concert, putting in mind that their fans are not only inside Egypt, but many listeners follow them internationally. As Massoud reveals, the concert will be probably held on YouTube s live streaming service and possibly other platforms.

The Wiener Staatsoper has opened up its streaming service to provide audiences with daily opera as it s closed for public performances due to Coronavirus precautionary measures. Since Sunday 15 March, the Vienna State Opera started to stream operas from its archives for free on its website with Das Rheingold (performance from 10 January 2016) conducted by Adam Fischer and directed by Sven-Eric Bechtolf. On Monday, they will broadcast Falstaff (performance from 30 January 2019) of conductor James Conlon and director: David McVicar and on Tuesday they will screen Tri Sestri (performance from 18 March 2016) of conductor Péter Eötvös.

There are similarities and differences between Covid-19 and the flu, but we know much less about the novel coronavirus. As we look at what happened in China, and what s happening now in Italy, it s easy to adopt a fatalistic attitude that "there s nothing we can do, we re all going to get it anyway." This could not be further from the truth. Even if half of all people worldwide become infected with Covid-19 -- and we don t know if the infection rate will be nearly that high -- half will not. And of those who do get infected, there s a lot we can learn from flu to increase the likelihood of survival. Symptoms. Some symptoms of flu and Covid-19 are similar: a dry cough and fever. Covid-19 more often causes shortness of breath and difficulty breathing -- a sign to seek immediate medical attention. Influenza causes aches, fatigue, headache and chills; these appear to be less common with Covid-19. Flu symptoms tend to come on abruptly, getting worse in a day or two. With Covid-19, symptoms may be more gradual and take several days to get worse. If you are sneezing, or have a stuffy or runny nose, the good news is that you probably just have a garden-variety common cold -- ironically, one possibly caused by a different coronavirus. Covid-19 is more infectious than flu. It appears a person who is infected with Covid-19 spreads it to more people than the flu, so it may spread farther and faster than flu. Covid-19 is more likely to kill than flu. On average, about 1 in 1,000 people who get flu die from it -- mostly the elderly and people with underlying health conditions, but flu sometimes kills healthy young people and pregnant women. We don t know the precise case fatality ratio for Covid-19 because of incomplete testing of possible cases and insufficient information about outbreaks. But so far, Covid-19 appears much deadlier than seasonal flu, and quite possibly deadlier than the flu pandemics of 1957 and 1968, each of which killed more than 1 million people around the world. Those pandemics had estimated case fatality ratios far below 1% -- and Covid-19 may kill more than 1 in 100 people who get sick with it. This is not as high as the 1918 flu pandemic, which has been estimated to have killed 2.5 of 100 who it made sick, killing an estimated 675,000 Americans at a time when our population was one-third what it is today. As with the flu, older people and those with serious health conditions such as heart or lung disease, cancer or diabetes are at much higher risk. And there is a fundamental difference in how flu and Covid-19 kill. Many deaths from flu are caused by secondary bacterial pneumonia and heart attacks that develop after the flu has weakened someone s resistance. With Covid-19, most deaths are caused by acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which causes already-damaged lungs to fill with fluid, and makes breathing difficult. Unlike pneumonia, there is no pharmaceutical treatment for ARDS. That is why a potential shortage of ventilators is so dangerous: They are the last-ditch supportive treatment for Covid-19 while the body heals itself. No vaccine. Unlike flu, there is no vaccine for Covid-19 and we are unlikely to have one for at least a year, if ever. The flu vaccine is relatively weak compared with other vaccines -- around 60% protection in a good year when the vaccine is well-matched to circulating strains and 30% or less in a bad year. But at least we have a vaccine for flu. And although it is not highly effective, the flu vaccine helps build herd immunity, which prevents or at least slows disease spread, and often reduces symptom severity. No treatment. There are not yet any medications that can be used to treat Covid-19, although clinical trials are currently underway and being accelerated. For flu, Tamiflu and other antiviral drugs shorten the duration of illness and reduce symptom severity if started within two days of symptom onset. This is important, even if antivirals are not as effective as antibiotics: Less-severe flu symptoms reduce the need for intensive care and reduce the risk of death. No immunity. Because Covid-19 is caused by a novel virus, it is likely that there is no natural immunity to it, unlike the flu. In most years, some percentage of the population will be resistant to flu infection and less likely to become severely ill from that year s flu strains because they previously had a similar strain of the flu or were vaccinated against it. That retained immunity can reduce the severity of flu symptoms. During the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic, people over age 35 generally did not get severe illness because of partial immunity, which may have been from previous infection with a similar strain. During the 1918 flu pandemic, older people appear to have been less likely to become ill and die because of past immunity. With Covid-19, no one has this type of existing immunity as far as we know -- although why kids don t get severely ill is a mystery -- which is why some epidemiologists have predicted that two-thirds of all people in the United States might become infected. Children at reduced risk. One bit of good news is that, unlike with the flu, children up to at least age 18 appear to not become very ill with Covid-19. They can become infected, but fatal infection appears to be extremely rare. Flu kills about 100 children under age 17 in the US each year (most under age 5). We don t know to what extent children are important in spreading Covid-19. People without symptoms are generally less likely to spread infections, and children are less likely to show symptoms. Because of this, we don t know whether closing schools will substantially reduce spread of this coronavirus. Covid-19 is more infectious and more deadly than flu. We have fewer tools and no natural immunity. And, we know much less about how to fight it. That s why it s even more important to take protective measures. Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly, avoid touching surfaces to the extent possible, cover your coughs, and stay home if you re feeling ill -- the same recommendations we give to people to avoid getting and spreading the flu. Specifically for Covid-19, actions of universities and workplaces are closing and allowing telecommuting and distance learning make sense. Medically vulnerable people need to keep a safe distance from others. Nursing homes need to do everything possible to prevent Covid-19 from entering their doors -- either by visitors or staff. Large public gatherings need to be cancelled or radically altered; the NCAA and NBA are taking the right steps to limit contact, which will help flatten the epidemic curve and reduce the chance of a sharp spike in cases that could overwhelm health care facilities. Actions that delay cases allow us to better manage our health care resources -- which could be stretched to the breaking point if cases surge dramatically -- and give us more time to develop effective treatments to prevent the worst complications. Finally, most people who get flu or Covid-19 do well; 80 or 90% of those infected with the novel virus have mild, moderate or no symptoms. However many people die from it, this will be too many. Although the coronavirus pandemic will certainly get worse before it gets better, it will get better. And even at the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, many people (no one knows what proportion) won t get infected, and, of those who do get infected, 99 out of 100 will recover. So, it s responsible to be proactive now to limit the harms of Covid-19, but it s also good to keep in mind that this, too, will pass. By taking these actions on both a personal and societal level, we give ourselves the best chance to mitigate the impact of Covid-19. It s too late now to prevent this coronavirus from spreading in our communities, but by working together to limit and slow that spread, we can save lives.