Egypt’s 2nd coronavirus case foreign expert: Health Ministry

CAIRO – 2 March 2020: The Egyptian Ministry of Health on Sunday said the second coronavirus case detected is a foreign expert working for an oil company located 120 kilometers from the north-western governorate of Matrouh.

Matrouh embraces the country’s only hospital so far allocated to quarantine and treat coronavirus patients or suspected cases.

The second patient to be detected developed a high temperature on Sunday and other symptoms of the virus appeared, the ministry said, adding that he was diagnosed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and tested positive for the new disease.

The foreign expert was transferred to Al-Negela hospital in Matrouh to be quarantined, according to the ministry. The two persons who were escorting the patient tested negative for the virus, the ministry noted.

Late in February, France and Canada confirmed cases with coronavirus coming from Egypt, despite the Egyptian authorities’ claim that Egypt confirmed two cases only so far, the first was earlier released from quarantine.

David Williams, medical officer of health in Ontario, said on Friday that eight cases, including a man coming from Egypt, were tested positive for the virus in Toronto’s Ontario, CBC reported.

Egypt's Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly on Thursday affirmed that the government is not hiding any updates regarding coronavirus, and that they are dealing with the crises with "transparency."