Dr. Kathryn Hibbert s Covid-19 patient in the intensive care unit was not doing well. As his blood pressure plummeted, she tried to insert an intravenous line into an artery in his wrist. A blood clot clogged the tubing. Frustrated, Hibbert tried again with a new needle. A blood clot clogged up that line as well. It took three tries to insert the IV. "You just watch it clot right in front of you," said Hibbert, director of the medical intensive care unit at Massachusetts General Hospital. "It s rare to have that happen once, and extremely rare to have that happen twice." Hibbert and other doctors are finding that some patients infected with the novel coronavirus have a propensity towards developing blood clots, which can be life threatening if the clot travels to the heart or lungs. "The number of clotting problems I m seeing in the ICU, all related to Covid-19, is unprecedented," Dr. Jeffrey Laurence, a hematologist at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, wrote in an email to CNN. "Blood clotting problems appear to be widespread in severe Covid." Laurence and his colleagues looked at autopsies on two patients and found blood clots in the lungs and just beneath the surface of the skin, according to a study published last week. They also found blood clots beneath the skin s surface on three living patients. In the Netherlands, a study found "remarkably high" rates of clotting among Covid patients in the ICU. An international consortium of experts from more than 30 hospitals gathered to consider the issue. Their conclusion: It s unclear exactly why, but coronavirus patients may be predisposed to having clots. "This is one of the most talked about questions in Covid right now," said Dr. Michelle Gong, chief of the division of critical care medicine at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. At Montefiore, they ve started to put all Covid-19 patients on low doses of blood thinners to prevent clots, Gong said. Not all hospitals have taken that step -- but they re still concerned. "It s out of the norm, and we re wondering, are blot clots one of the reasons why these patients are dying," said Dr. Todd Rice, an associate professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Alarming rates of blood clots Being in the intensive care unit, sick and lying still, can be a perfect storm for blood clots for any patient. "Even before Covid, we re on high alert for suspicion of clots in the ICU because they re at high risk," Gong said. Even so, doctors have a hunch that Covid patients might be clotting even more than other ICU patients. The Dutch study of 184 patients in the ICU with Covid-19-related pneumonia found that more than 20% were having clotting issues. A study of 81 similarly ill patients in Wuhan, China, found a 25% incidence of clots. Dr. Behnood Bikdeli, who helped coordinate the international coalition of physicians looking into the clotting issue, called those numbers "alarming." Bikdeli, a cardiovascular medicine fellow at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, said there are three major reasons why Covid-19 patients might have an especially high risk of clotting. One is that vast majority of patients who become severely ill with coronavirus have underlying medical problems, such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. These patients -- whether they have coronavirus or not - have a higher tendency to clot than healthy patients. Second, one way coronavirus can kill patients is through a "cytokine storm," where the body s own immune response turns on itself. Patients experiencing that storm, because of coronavirus, influenza, or any other reason are at a higher risk for clotting. The third reason is that there could be something about the novel coronavirus itself that s causing clots. Doctors say it s hard to know exactly what s behind what they re seeing with Covid-19 patients in the ICU. "My gut tells me there are probably a subset of Covid patients who have really abnormal clotting behavior, that this is happening more frequently than we would expect it to," said Hibbert, an instructor at Harvard Medical School. She quickly added, though, that doctors gut feelings are "notoriously misleading" and that studies need to be done to get to the bottom of exactly how common clotting is among coronavirus patients. A tricky fix Fixing these clotting issues can be tricky. While a low dose of blood thinners to prevent clots is generally considered low risk, that might not be enough to prevent clots in some patients. Giving larger doses, however, could make a patient bleed excessively, which can be deadly. That leaves doctors in a conundrum. Some patients might benefit from larger doses of blood thinners because they re very sick with Covid-19, and their blood tests show they have elevated levels of D-dimer, a substance that indicates they might have clotting issues. Doctors at Harvard have proposed doing a large study on blood thinners for these patients, Hibbert said. "There s a crying need for these kinds of rapid trials," Gong said. Laurence, the hematologist at Weill Cornell, said since treating clotting can be so tricky, he wants to figure out what s causing the clotting in the first place. "We re trying to shut off what s causing it," he said. "There s overexuberant clotting going on with Covid patients, and we re trying to keep ahead of it." While studies sort this out, doctors are being extra vigilant with their Covid-19 patients. Hibbert described how a nurse recently had to constantly administer a blood thinner called heparin to a Covid-19 patient while the patient was undergoing kidney dialysis, because clots kept clogging up the tubing in the machine. "We had the nurse at the bedside pushing heparin to keep the machine from clotting off. That s very rare," Hibbert said. Hibbert said she awaits the day when a study will nail down how often Covid-19 patients are having clotting issues, and what to do about them. "This is one of the many challenges in taking care of critically ill patients and trying to decide if what you re seeing at the bedside is rare and happening by chance, or if it s part of a larger pattern that could change your practice," she said.

The Italian Cultural Institute in Cairo has launched a series of educational and artistic initiatives that can be enjoyed from home, an effort to address the needs of students and lovers of Italian culture who are currently staying at home due to social distancing practices put in place to help combat the novel coronavirus COVID-19. In a statement made on Tuesday, the institute said that it launched the initiative with the aim of promoting various campaigns implemented by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, such as the initiative #WeAreItaly, in which singers and writers post short messages announcing their solidarity through their artistic practice. Also included is the initiative #StayTunedOnIt (stay tuned for everything that happens in Italy). The statement said that the institute is also considering organizing a series of cultural initiatives specifically targeting Egyptian audiences. The institute recently launched a new series of videos titled “Notes and ideas about Italian language and culture,” hosted by the institute s director, Davide Scalmani, in which he presents various aspects of Italian culture that are closely related to current affairs. In the first video, Scalmani discusses the Strega Prize — one of Italy s most prestigious literary awards. In the institute s second video, Scalmani speaks about celebrating Italian Design Day, and explains why Italy is a leader in aesthetic and cultural initiatives and products. The institute is scheduled to launch a second series of videos devoted to students of the Italian language. The videos — which are edited by professors of Italian language courses, and which will be released in the first days of Ramadan — introduce various expressions from colloquial Italian, which often has similar expressions to those found in the Egyptian dialect, as well as similar proverbs and gestures. The institute plans to continue its commitment to the field of contemporary art as well, and will provide daily content, including artistic experiences from Italy and abroad. The institute hopes to demonstrate the importance of art, especially at the present time.

The Presidential Adviser for Health Affairs Mohamed Awad Tageldin announced Tuesday that Egypt has begun a trial using plasma taken from recovered coronavirus patients to treat severe cases. This trial comes in parallel with the use of the Japanese drug Avigan in treating some cases, he said. Plasma in the blood of recovered cases can contain antibodies, he told Al-Arabiya, adding that once obtained the plasma is then examined for any diseases before the trial therapy proceeds. Tageldin, also a Professor of Chest Diseases at Ain Shams University, said that this blood plasma trial follows a specific treatment protocol and will only be used for severe cases and patients with compromised immunity, done in the hopes of boosting their immune systems. This therapy will be used with other drugs for coronavirus patients according to the current treatment protocol, he said, thereby testing its effectiveness in treating severe cases. Tageldin said although no infections have been found in a recovered patient with the virus, it hasn t yet been ruled out. Around 85 percent of coronavirus patients in Egypt suffer simple or asymptomatic cases, he noted, while five to eight percent require intensive care units. An increase in coronavirus infections is expected, he warned, stressing that all direct contacts of coronavirus cases are tested. He added that the percentage of coronavirus deaths in Egypt is cumulative and deaths are not recorded in one day. “We are still in the slow upward stage, we have not reached a negative stage and we hope to continue the current situation. We hope that the number of infections does not increase,” the presidential advisor said. The precautionary measures imposed by the government are aimed at protecting citizens, Tageldin added, warning that countries that have slackened against the coronavirus suffer. An Epidemiological surveillance officer at the World Health Organization s office in Cairo, Omar Aboul-Ata, on Sunday said that Egypt has not yet reached its peak of coronavirus infections. “We have a golden opportunity to reduce rates of infection with the coronavirus that we must seize,” Aboul-Ata said. Egypt on Monday confirmed 189 new coronavirus cases, bringing the country s number of confirmed total cases so far to 3,333. The total number of COVID-19 deaths has now reached 250 nationwide.

The official producer of the prank program “Ramez Magnoon” (Ramez is Crazy) starring actor Ramez Galal has released the poster for the show, which will air in Ramadan. Galal also published the poster — which depicts him posing with a skeleton — on his official Instagram account. The program will air on the channel MBC, and will feature a large number of famous guests, including Rania Youssef, Rojina, Samira Saeed, Saber al-Rebaei, and Amr Youssef. The premise of the program turns on placing the guest on the “chair of confession” and asking them a number of questions. The guest is asked their opinion by three personalities, including Galal, after which Galal — accompanied by frightening sound effects — reveals himself to the guest. Galal has been presenting prank shows every Ramadan for more than seven years, and has earned wide popularity for putting his guests in risky situations. His guests often include prominent celebrities and public figures. His pranks have been heavily criticized, however, for being dangerous and for violating his guests’ privacy. Viewers have also complained about the insults contained in the show. Regardless, millions of Egyptians enthusiastically await his show during the Iftar hour when they break their fast.

Shady Emad, an Alexandrian contemporary dancer, has manouvred his way out of closed spaces. Taking advantage of an empty cornish in Alexandria, he began performing in public spaces and posting videos of him dancing on his Facebook page. Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, Emad used to jog and exercise in the morning on the cornish, a practice which now has been abandond by many like-minded young Alexandrians. At the same time, the shutting down of all cultural venues makes it more challenging for dancers -- and all artists alike -- to continue with their regular artistic activities. "I asked myself why not dance here," he tells Ahram Online, referring to the Mediterranean city s cornish which in regular days is filled with crowds, yet now it remains deserted due to the quarantine which aims to curb the spread of the coronavirus. It is by choosing the large empty public spaces that he continues to practise social distancing, albeit outside the confinment of the four walls of his apartment. "These days are hard and extremely boring, but I believe that the world before the [pandemic] was also boring and trapped in fixed patterns and constructed in a deadly way that needed an extreme situation like this to change," he writes in one of his most recent videos. Before becoming a full-time contemporary dancer, Emad studied dentistry before switching to the Faculty of Tourism and Hotels at the Alexandria University. He began dancing in 2014. “I chose contemporary dance as a way to express myself and my opinions in a different way with different tools," he reveals to Ahram Online. The dancer adds that he was inspired by Nassim El-Raqs: A Contemporary Dance Festival which was held between 2011 and 2017 on the streets of Alexandria. Launched by Egypt-based French visual artist Emilie Petit, Nassim El-Raqs aimed to empower contemporary dancers in Alexandria and design dances with different themes responding to everyday life challenges, presenting the majority of their works in public spaces. "The festival hosted contemporary dance in public spaces as an alternative to theatres, and as such it could reach more people," Emad adds. Emad records his dances on the cornish and posts them on his Facebook page. One of the most recent videos (posted on 15 April) was shot on the cornish during the busy morning hours, while another (13 April) takes us to Gleem, one of the finest neighbourhood in Alexandria. Several other videos, which he began sharing since March, present Emad in a variety of public spaces. By sharing the videos on social media Emad hopes to send a message to other artists: "Do not stop dancing regardless of the circumstances. "The absence of traditional dance spaces shouldn t prevent us from continuing our practice," he adds. The dancer adds Connected by Light hashtag to his videos, joining this way an initiative launched by Alexandria s Jesuit Cultural Centre that aims at bringing artists and audiences together during the quarantine. Spearheaded by the centre s director Fadi George, the initiative showcases artists in discussion, performances and lectures on how to deal with quarantine realities and their impact on our psychology. Shady Emad, an Alexandrian contemporary dancer, has manouvred his way out of closed spaces. Taking advantage of an empty cornish in Alexandria, he began performing in public spaces and posting videos of him dancing on his Facebook page. Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, Emad used to jog and exercise in the morning on the cornish, a practice which now has been abandond by many like-minded young Alexandrians. At the same time, the shutting down of all cultural venues makes it more challenging for dancers -- and all artists alike -- to continue with their regular artistic activities. "I asked myself why not dance here," he tells Ahram Online, referring to the Mediterranean city s cornish which in regular days is filled with crowds, yet now it remains deserted due to the quarantine which aims to curb the spread of the coronavirus. It is by choosing the large empty public spaces that he continues to practise social distancing, albeit outside the confinment of the four walls of his apartment. "These days are hard and extremely boring, but I believe that the world before the [pandemic] was also boring and trapped in fixed patterns and constructed in a deadly way that needed an extreme situation like this to change," he writes in one of his most recent videos. Before becoming a full-time contemporary dancer, Emad studied dentistry before switching to the Faculty of Tourism and Hotels at the Alexandria University. He began dancing in 2014. “I chose contemporary dance as a way to express myself and my opinions in a different way with different tools," he reveals to Ahram Online. The dancer adds that he was inspired by Nassim El-Raqs: A Contemporary Dance Festival which was held between 2011 and 2017 on the streets of Alexandria. Launched by Egypt-based French visual artist Emilie Petit, Nassim El-Raqs aimed to empower contemporary dancers in Alexandria and design dances with different themes responding to everyday life challenges, presenting the majority of their works in public spaces. "The festival hosted contemporary dance in public spaces as an alternative to theatres, and as such it could reach more people," Emad adds. Emad records his dances on the cornish and posts them on his Facebook page. One of the most recent videos (posted on 15 April) was shot on the cornish during the busy morning hours, while another (13 April) takes us to Gleem, one of the finest neighbourhood in Alexandria. Several other videos, which he began sharing since March, present Emad in a variety of public spaces. By sharing the videos on social media Emad hopes to send a message to other artists: "Do not stop dancing regardless of the circumstances. "The absence of traditional dance spaces shouldn t prevent us from continuing our practice," he adds. The dancer adds Connected by Light hashtag to his videos, joining this way an initiative launched by Alexandria s Jesuit Cultural Centre that aims at bringing artists and audiences together during the quarantine. Spearheaded by the centre s director Fadi George, the initiative showcases artists in discussion, performances and lectures on how to deal with quarantine realities and their impact on our psychology.

The Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population has recently issued guidelines aiming to protect pregnant women from being infected with the novel coronavirus COVID-19. Pregnant women are advised to stay at home as much as possible and avoid crowded and smoke-filled areas. They are also cautioned against participating in family gatherings and using public transportation. They should also maintain their distance from others when in public areas. Wearing a face mask is another essential precaution, to be taken whenever outdoors. Pregnant women are also advised to wash their hands frequently, washing for 20 seconds with soap and water, especially before touching the face or eyes. The guidelines also caution against touching surfaces outside the home, and recommend regularly sanitizing all surfaces at home. In addition, pregnant women should refrain from eating food from restaurants. They are advised to instead prepare meals at home, and to prepare healthy foods that help strengthen the immune system. The guidelines also advise cleaning all personal items on a regular basis before usage, which is crucial to avoiding contamination. Pregnant women should also drink large quantities of water throughout the day, and should rinse their mouths and noses with saltwater at least once a day.

Lebanese singer Elissa on Saturday released her latest song, “Hanghani Kaman Wi Kaman” (We Will Sing More and More), which she recorded at home amid quarantine measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Elissa released the song Saturday evening on YouTube with a clip of a video call between herself and the Lebanese singer and actress Haifa Wehbe, who was shown listening and dancing to the song. Many of Elissa s fans also appeared in the clip, happily interacting with her from their homes. The video has been met with enthusiasm, racking up more than 2.5 million views. The song aims to promote social distancing while providing hope during the coronavirus crisis through its upbeat music and lyrics. Elissa s musical career began in 1992 when she won the silver medal in the Studio El Fan music competition, according to her Facebook official page. In 2002, she won the Murex d Or award for Best Female Artist. In 2010, she was named Best Arab Female Artist at the Jordan Music Awards and Best Female Artist in the Middle East at the Big Apple Music Awards. Among her most renowned albums are “Ayshalak” (Living for You – 2002), “Bastanak” (I Wait for You – 2006), “Ayami Beek” (My Days With You – 2007), “Asaad Wahda” (The Happiest One – 2012), and “Saharna Ya Lail” (Oh Night, Let s Stay Up Till Dawn- 2016).

The Cultural Communication Sector of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina launched an initiative on Sunday titled “Bringing the Library of Alexandria to you at Home,” part of the library s efforts to deliver its cultural and educational services remotely amid precautionary measures taken by Egypt to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The library s director Mostafa El Feki stressed that the initiative aims to continue communicating with the library s visitors through the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan by offering specially designed programs that include live tours from inside the library s museums and exhibitions. The live programs will be broadcast directly on the library s YouTube channel, and on its official Facebook page, he added. The first activity will be a live tour of the Sadat Museum on Monday, April 13, from 12 pm to 12:30 pm. It will be followed at one pm by a live tour of the Manuscripts Museum. On the second day of the initiative, Wednesday April 15, a live tour will take place at the Antiquities Museum from 12 pm to 12:30 pm. At one pm, another tour will take place at the History of Science Museum at the Planetarium Science Center. The initiative will conclude on Wednesday, April 22 with a live tour at 12 pm of the permanent exhibition “The Artist s Book,” followed by a tour of the library s Folk Art exhibition at one pm. At six pm, the Planetarium Science Center will organize an event to witness the sighting of the crecent moon marking the start of Ramadan. Tours and events will be announced on a weekly basis, and the library will announce any changes to the schedule on its official website and its social media accounts. The Bibliotheca is the largest library in Egypt and the sixth-largest in the world. In addition to almost eight million books, the library has many other attractions such as the planetarium and four museums, including the Antiquities Museum, the Sadat Museum and Manuscript Museum. It also has more twelve academic research centers, a section for the visually impaired, and a conference center, according to the Bibliotheca s official website.

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.