Egyptians Celebrate End of Ramadan as Pandemic Winds Down
After two years of coronavirus pandemic-driven disruptions, the Egyptian government has relaxed restrictions on places of worship and business during the holy seasons of Ramadan and Easter, citing declining infection, hospitalization, and death rates. For VOA, Hamada Elrasam captures Egyptians releasing their worries and embracing their communities. Captions by Elle Kurancid.
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Friends and colleagues gather at a restaurant to break their daylong fast with an Iftar meal in downtown Cairo, April 24, 2022. (H. Elrasam/VOA)
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Since the start of Ramadan, cafes, restaurants and other businesses have been permitted to extend their working hours and ease other pandemic-related precautionary measures, in Cairo, April 25, 2022. (H. Elrasam/VOA)
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Hundreds gather for an annual Ramadan football tournament following a two-year suspension due to the pandemic, in Alexandria, April 15, 2022. (H. Elrasam/VOA)
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Reda, who serves free orange juice to Muslims breaking the fast, says, "Over the last two years, most people would refrain from taking juice from us if we weren't wearing masks or gloves—but now, nobody comments," in Cairo, April 23, 2022. (H. Elrasam/VOA)