Health Ministry to open 13 labs for PCR tests across Egypt

CAIRO - 18 March 2020: The Egyptian Health Ministry’s Central Department of Laboratories will open 13 official laboratories across Egypt’s governorates on Thursday for PCR lab tests.

Nancy El-Gendy, head of the department, said in a press statement that citizens can head to the laboratory branches to conduct the necessary tests.

She added that new devices and medical equipment had arrived at Al-Abbasiya Fever Hospital and the staff is being trained to use them.

Egypt has announced it will suspend international flights to and from the country from 19 till 31 March at all airports nationwide as well as reduce the presence of public sector employees to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

Coronavirus has forced many countries to suspend their flights around the globe after the infected cases reached 174,605 people and 6,685 deaths were reported to date. On March 10, 2020, the virus was announced a global pandemic by the World Health Organization.

“WHO is deeply concerned by the alarming levels of the coronavirus spread, severity & inaction, & expects to see the number of cases, deaths & affected countries climb even higher. Therefore, we made the assessment that COVID19 can be characterized as a pandemic,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesusin in a press conference.