Domestic tourism in Aswan, Luxor, Red Sea, S. Sinai halted for 14 days

CAIRO – 19 March 2020: The Egyptian Health Ministry announced the suspension of domestic tourism in the four popular governorates of Aswan, Luxor, Red Sea and South Sinai, for two weeks, to curb the spread of coronavirus disease.

This comes after the Health Ministry earlier announced banning workers in all tourist facilities in these governorates from leaving 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, Health Minister Hala Zayed said on Wednesday, in a meeting with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli.

The Egyptian Health Ministry on Wednesday confirmed 14 new cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases to 210.

The new cases were all in contact with previously confirmed cases, the ministry said in a statement.

Separately, Saad Makki, deputy health minister in Dakahlia northeast of Cairo, said all the examined doctors, nurses and workers at Belqas Central Hospital tested negative for coronavirus.

The total number of people recovering from the deadly virus reached 28, said Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed on Wednesaday, as part of 40 cases who turned negative.

Until Wednesday, six people have died in Egypt of the coronavirus.

The last two deaths were announced Tuesday, including a 78-year-old Italian national and a 70-year old Egyptian national in Cairo.

Both of them died at the isolation hospital, the spokesman said, adding that the family members of the dead Egyptians are being tested.