Sisi decides Tahya Misr fund will bear quarantine cost for Egyptians stranded abroad

CAIRO – 1 April 2020: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has signed a declaration that Tahya Misr (Long Live) Egypt, a donation-based national fund, will take care of the expense of quarantine for Egyptians evacuated from abroad over the novel coronavirus, sources told Egypt Today.

Sisi’s decision comes a day after many Egyptian nationals who arrived from Britain and Kuwait refused to be quarantined for 14 days at their expense.

Egyptian Cabinet spokesman Nader Saad on Tuesday said citizens abroad would not be allowed to fly to Egypt unless they sign a quarantine commitment letter, meaning that it is compulsory. The remarks were made after citizens coming from Kuwait refused to be quarantined at their expense.

Saad urged businessmen to take care of the quarantine expenses for the Egyptians evacuated from abroad.

The Egyptian Ministry of Health announced on Wednesday new 69 coronavirus cases. This is the largest daily increase in coronavirus cases in Egypt until now, according to the official tally, which took place in less than 24 hours.

The total death toll in the African country due to the deadly virus rose to 52, after 6 new deaths were recorded.

The new cases bring the total number of people infected with coronavirus inside Egypt to 779, according to the ministry.