by Marwa Yahya
CAIRO, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Cairo Opera House organized an online concert on Thursday by famed Egyptian composer and pianist Omar Khairat amid a ban on public gatherings and the closure of theaters and cinemas to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The concert was part of the initiative "Khalek fe el-Beit, Thaqafa ben eadeak," which means "Stay Home, Culture in Your Hand" in English, covering a package of cultural activities.
The Egyptian Culture Ministry announced on Sunday that it would begin broadcasting concerts, ballets, plays and films from the ministry's archives on its YouTube channel and social media accounts to encourage Egyptians to stay at home during the coronavirus outbreak.
"The streaming shows starting on Tuesday have drawn more than 1 million viewers," Mohamed Moneer, media spokesman of the opera house, told Xinhua.
A total of 488,444 persons were recorded in the first moment of Khairat's concert which was also attended by four Egyptian famous singers, he said.
"I really enjoyed the online concert with my family at home for free," said Noha Darwish, a 45-year-old engineer.
The last live concert by Khairat at the opera house cost me 6,000 Egyptian pounds (381 U.S. dollars), she told Xinhua.
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly suspended live performance on March 17 as part of anti-coronavorus measures.
In a statement last week, Egyptian Culture Minister Enas Abdel Dayem said such online shows would allow the world to see Egyptian talents.
"It also represents one of the steps of the digital transformation that the ministry seeks to implement," the minister added.
Similar non-governmental moves have been taken by popular bands and singers, as a growing number of artists have turned to the internet to broadcast their performances and concerts for people at home.
Massar Egbari, a band famous among young people, has gone with the tide by performing on its Youtube channel and its Facebook page.
"The show was completely free for the public to avoid additional financial burden for the people staying at home," said Omar Sami, the band's manager.
Our band wanted to encourage people to stay at home and have fun at the same time, he added.
The art critic Duaa Helmy praised the initiative, noting such initiative will further prompt the cinemas to present films through internet because the industry will be greatly impacted by the closure.
The Egyptian health ministry said on Friday that the total number of coronavirus cases in the country has reached 536 with 30 deaths.
A nationwide curfew from 7 p.m. (1700 GMT) to 6 a.m. (0400 GMT) has been enforced since Wednesday.
The government has also suspended international flights, shuttered schools and universities, halted public entertainment activities and mass prayers, and reduced the number of employees working at state institutions.
