CAIRO: Egypt’s Ministry of Manpower is currently mulling to set days of very high temperature as public holidays after at least 70 people died of the current blistering heat wave.
Manpower Minister Nahed al-Ashry considers amending the labor law articles regulating the work in days with exceptional high temperature, the ministry spokesperson Haitham Saadeldin told al-Beit Betak talk show Tuesday.
Egypt’s Labor Law of 2003 does allows public vacations for the laborers in the days of very high temperature.
Egyptian Meteorological Authority spokesperson Waheed Saudi said that the International Labor Organization law, stipulates that a government could announce public holidays if the temperature reaches 50 ˚C or above.
“The reason behind this scorching heat wave is the seasonal Indian depression,” he continued, noting that the hot wave will continue to August 20.
Saudi warned of drinking juices and sugary drinks as they increase the temperature of the body amid this hot wave. He also asked the people to avoid sunrays during noontime.
Since Sunday, around 70 people died and hundreds were injured, according to statistics from the Ministry of Health. Eight people, including two children, died Wednesday at Asyut University hospital due to sun stroke where the temperature reached 42 ˚C, Youm7 reported.
On Tuesday, 21 elderly people died due to the scorching heat wave, while 581 others are being hospitalized.
Meanwhile, 19 people died Monday as temperature reached around 40 ˚C and 21 others died on Monday, the Ministry said in a statement Tuesday.