No coronavirus cases among Egyptians repatriated from Wuhan: China’s amb.

CAIRO – 7 February 2020: Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang on Thursday said no cases of coronavirus were recorded among Egyptians who resided in Wuhan before they were recently repatriated.

While coronavirus has killed over 630 people by Friday, according to CNN, since it emerged in December in Central China’s Hubei province, particularly in Wuhan, the Egyptian authorities has reiterated on a daily basis that no cases of the deadly virus were recorded so far in Egypt.

According to CNN, the new virus has spread to more than 25 countries, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Japan, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, France, Germany, Italy, Singapore and South Korea.

In an interview with Masaa’ DMC on Thursday, Liqiang said the Chinese government has provided all assistance to the Egyptians in Wuhan to transfer them to Egypt and will also provide full security to the Egyptians who decided to stay in China.

The ambassador said Africa is far from the focus of the new deadly virus. He affirmed that China would work hard to eliminate this virus which President Xi Jinping described as “devil.”

Liqiang also affirmed that no coronavirus cases were recorded among Chinese citizens residing in Egypt including tourists or those who work in some companies in Egypt or in the Chinese embassy.

In this regard, he affirmed that China has banned any Chinese person suffering from cough, fever or high temperature to travel to Egypt, in an effort to protect the peoples of the two countries.

Earlier in February, the authorities of Damietta Port, in northeastern Egypt, decided to quarantine the crew of a ship coming from Shanghai, China’s biggest city, as part of national efforts to prevent coronavirus from entering the North African country.

The security authorities took security measures on the ship, dubbed “Magic Seas” and dealt with its crew while wearing protective suits, a statement said. The ship carried iron sheets.

As a precautionary measure, the port authorities request a copy of the medical reports of the crew of any ship coming from or passing through China, before it enters the port, including temperature checks, according to the statement.

Egyptian Health Ministry has affirmed that no cases of coronavirus have been detected so far.

Egypt’s national airline EgyptAir announced suspending flights between Egypt and China starting from February 4th. Earlier in February, Egypt repatriated its citizens in the city of Wuhan. Health Minister Hala Zayed ordered quarantining the repatriated citizens for 14 days to make sure they do not carry the coronavirus.

The ministry allocated a special building in al-Negila hospital in Matrouh governorate, in northwestern Egypt, to test the repatriated citizens for the deadly virus.

Also, a number of Egyptian importers suspended signing deals to import Chinese garlic because of coronavirus; however, the quantities contracted upon previously are being received.

Head of Vegetables and Fruits Unit at the Chamber of Commerce Hatem Naguib affirmed that Chinese garlic circulating in the Egyptian market is safe as it had entered the country before the rise of the virus, and was subject to screening by the General Organization For Export and Import Control.