320 additional hospitals to serve in testing coronavirus suspected cases: Cabinet

CAIRO – 21 May 2020: The Egyptian state has adopted a new strategy to face the novel coronavirus, including involving 320 hospitals to test the coronavirus (COVID-19) suspected cases, which allows citizens to head to the nearest hospital in case they showed any symptoms, the Cabinet’s spokesman said on Wednesday.

Soon, as the number of cases increases, hospitals and other quarantine places will become full, Spokesman Nader Saad said, which encouraged the government to apply the home quarantine for cases with mild symptoms.

Suspected cases will be screened by simple tests like complete blood counts (CBC) and chest X-ray, Saad said, then they will be asked to self-isolate at home in case they do not show symptoms, or will be tested for coronavirus in case they develop severe symptoms.

Saad denied any shortage in ventilators, saying that Egypt has 4,000 ventilators while only less than 50 patients currently need them and about 250 patients are in the intensive care units.

The Health Ministry on Thursday said 774 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Egypt, according to a daily briefing, bringing the total number of cases to 15,003. This is the highest daily count recorded by the northeastern African country.

The ministry also reported 16 deaths due to the novel virus (COVID-19), bringing the death toll to 696.

Also, the test results of 4,798 people turned from positive to negative, the ministry said, including 4,217 people who totally recovered. It added that 223 patients left hospitals.

On May 14, Egypt released a coexistence plan to deal with the coronavirus pandemic over the coming period. The government highlights the importance of abiding by precautionary measures while preparing to gradually resume the normal life cycle.

The plan comes as a bid to reduce the number of infections and deaths and, at the same time, achieve a balance between maintaining a normal life cycle and abiding by the precautionary measures, to get rid of the negative psychological effects of the outbreak, and to avoid crowds resulting from services like transportation and shopping.

Cinemas, theaters, cafes, fitness halls, and sports clubs should remain closed during the period of coexisting with the coronavirus in light of the first phase of the ministry’s plan to cope with the virus set to start at the beginning of June.

The ministry also recommended keeping the ban on weddings and funerals and suspending universities, schools, kindergartens, and nurseries.