Pensions in the spotlight: Al Hayah Al Youm’s Lobna Assal spoke with Social Solidarity Minister Nevine El Kabbaj who discussed efforts to reduce crowds as pensioners start heading to banks to collect their payments today. Day slots — from 1-9 April — have been assigned for each income bracket to limit footfall, she said. She added that the ministry is working on vetting its lists of irregular workers to ensure that they receive their economic relief stipends in April. She also discussed ongoing talks with the Financial Regulatory Authority to see if people with microloans can join those with bank loans in having their repayments frozen for six months (watch, runtime: 12:38).

The rehabilitation of Ahmed Moussa continued last night as he held an extended interview with cabinet spokesman Nader Saad about fake news online: Fresh off of his extended interview with CBE Governor Tarek Amer and a chat with Finance Minister Mohamed Maait, Moussa talked to cabinet spokesman Nader Saad about certain rumors spreading online about the government’s plans for combating covid-19.

Saad denied the government intends to extend the curfew hours or impose a nationwide lockdown and rejected claims that the entire banking system was about to shut down (watch, runtime: 37:12). Yahduth Fi Misr’s Sherif Amer also spoke with Saad (watch, runtime: 0:57). Masaa DMC’s Ramy Radwan (watch, runtime: 0:45), and Assal (watch, runtime: 2:40) also covered the issue of online fake news.

Daily covid-19 update: Masaa DMC’s Ramy Radwan covered the Health Ministry’s daily statement on covid-19, which yesterday reported 54 fresh cases and five more deaths, taking Egypt’s total number of cases to 710 and the overall death toll to 46 (watch, runtime: 3:05). Min Masr’s Reham Ibrahim (watch, runtime: 4:59) also covered the statement.

Locally-made ventilators in the works: Ibrahim also spoke with the chairman of the board directors at the Holding Company for Metallurgical Industries, Medhat Nafea, who said that his company is already in the process of developing a prototype ventilator, after US-based medical devices company Medtronic made the design specifications for their patented PB560 ventilator publicly available yesterday (watch, runtime: 8:15).