El-Sisi granted additional powers

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has approved amendments to the State of Emergency that grant him additional powers, which the government says are needed to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Saturday's changes were condemned by a prominent rights group, which said Cairo has used the public health crisis to 'expand, not reform, Egypt's abusive emergency law'. Al Jazeera reports that the new amendments allow the President to take measures to contain the virus, such as suspending classes at schools and universities and quarantining those returning from abroad. However, they also include expanded powers to ban public and private meetings, protests, celebrations and other forms of assembly. Parliament, which is packed with el-Sisi supporters, approved the measure last month.