Egypt prepared for all COVID-19 scenarios: health min.

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Sun, 29 Mar 2020 - 01:55 GMT

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Sun, 29 Mar 2020 - 01:55 GMT

FILE- Minister of Health Hala Zayed and her accompanying delegation underwent examination and preventive measures immediately upon her arrival at Beijing airport Monday - Press photo

FILE- Minister of Health Hala Zayed and her accompanying delegation underwent examination and preventive measures immediately upon her arrival at Beijing airport Monday - Press photo

CAIRO – 29 March 2020: The Egyptian health minister on Saturday affirmed that Egypt is prepared for all scenarios, as Egypt has so far reported 576 coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, 36 deaths and 121 recovered cases.

In an interview with Tase’a on state-run Al-Oula TV (Channel 1), Minister Hala Zayed said Egypt is working within the framework of strict precautionary measures to overcome the peak of the novel virus.

“Our capabilities are ready even for the worst scenarios and our hospitals are ready,” said Zayed. “The current measures are vey important, through which we try to have the least number of cases and deaths.”

The minister noted that 70% of the cases that tested positive for the coronavirus were in contact with previously reported cases.

Upper Egypt’s Luxor and Aswan had a very low infection rate during the past week, Zayed said.

As many as 28 cruise ships in Aswan were cleaned and sterilized throughout the current week, the deputy health minister in the city said earlier.

Dozens of positive cases were reported on board a Nile cruiser earlier in March in Aswan, as infection started with a Taiwanese-American tourist.


In remarks to Egypt Today, Deputy Health Minister in Aswan Ehab Hanafi said a number of measures were taken to protect citizens and workers in tourism sectors from the novel coronavirus. He also noted that tourist attractions, including temples, museums and hotels have been the focus of these efforts.

Concerning the governorates of Luxor, Aswan and South Sinai, known to be among the major tourist attractions in Egypt, Zayed earlier in March said some precautionary measures were taken, including banning workers in all tourist facilities from leaving these governorates for 14 days and putting them in quarantine.

The procedures in the three governorates will also include cleaning and sterilizing all tourist facilities as well as governmental and non-governmental facilities, Zayed said, adding that they will be unable to receive any tourists for 14 days starting from the date when the last tourist leaves.

The tourist ships also underwent precautionary measures, Zayed said, including testing all on board for the new virus, including visitors as well as the staff. Those who tested positive were quarantined. Concerning Nile cruisers, all those on board were put in quarantine for 14 days.

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