Sons of COVID-19 positive member of Egypt's Parliament contract virus: MP

CAIRO – 14 May 2020: The sons of an Egyptian Parliament member who tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) earlier this week were found to have contracted the novel virus, a senior MP said.

MP Shereen Farrag has been isolated at Kasr El Aini hospital in Cairo to receive medical treatment, to be officially the first coronavirus case in the Egyptian Parliament.

All the MPs who attended the meeting of the planning committee last Thursday have been tested, after they had come into contact with the infected parliamentarian, MP Yasser Omar, deputy head of the Parliament’s Planning and Budgetary Committee.

MP Talaat Khalil, who sat next to Farrag during the meeting tested negative for the virus, Omar said, noting that the committee will stop its meetings for a week.

Khalil on Wednesday announced he will self-isolate for 14 days, saying he exchanged talks with the infected MP. However, he said the preliminary results of the tests he underwent were reassuring.

Egypt's Parliament to start sterilization procedures after affirming COVID-19 case among MPs

CAIRO - 13 May 2020: Egypt's Parliament will start the sterilization procedures to all buildings and facilities after confirming that parliament member Shireen Farraj tested positive for the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. Counselor Mahmoud Fawzi, secretary-general of the House of Representatives, announced that Wednesday and Thursday are a paid leave for all employees inside the parliament, which would allow taking the needed procedures to sterilize all halls, buildings and offices.

The Health Ministry on Wednesday said 338 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Egypt recently, bringing the total number of cases to 10,431, amid calls for imposing a total curfew during the coming weeks.

The ministry also reported 12 deaths due to the novel virus, bringing the total number to 556. World Health Organization’s representative in Egypt John Jabbour said in mid-April WHO is looking at the cause of the high coronavirus rate of deaths in the northeastern African country.

Also, the test results of 2,980 people turned from positive to negative, the ministry said, including 2,486 people who totally recovered. It added that 160 patients left hospitals.

Egypt has reported a remarkable drop in the daily coronavirus cases, according to the official figures provided by the ministry, compared to the earlier few days. On Friday and Saturday, the country recorded 495 and 488 coronavirus positive patients, its highest daily count. On May 3, the country reported 272 cases, its lowest this month.