Alexandria’s Borg El Arab Prison disinfected to avoid coronavirus infections among inmates

CAIRO – 10 July 2020: Preventive medicine teams have continued to disinfect prisons across Egypt, in an effort to avoid coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, a statement by the Ministry of Interior read.

A medical convoy was sent to Borg El Arab prison west of the Mediterranean governorate of Alexandria to test many inmates and workers, the statement read, adding that libraries, kitchens and hospitals in the prison were also sterilized.

Since the coronavirus crisis started, the ministry has published photos for disinfection campaigns inside prisons. Also, family visits to the inmates have been suspended.

In May, the Egyptian Interior Ministry has “totally” denied reports that some detainees in a prominent police station in Cairo have tested positive for coronavirus, a statement by the ministry said.

This comes as reports by Turkish-based TV channel Mekameleen, known for hostility toward the Egyptian state, have quoted human rights sources as saying that some of the detainees in Nasr City Police Department 1 have contracted the novel virus.

The center said such reports were published by some channels affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood group and that these reports come within the framework of the attempts of these “seditious” channels to spread rumors and confusion in public opinion.

The Egyptian state has focused on refuting rumors and urging citizens to take information only from official and credible sources.

Those who intentionally spread rumors about the novel coronavirus can face a five-year imprisonment sentence, the public prosecution said late in March. In a press statement, the prosecution said that legal actions will be taken in conformity with articles no. (80), (102) and (188) of the criminal law.

Egypt recorded, Thursday 950 new coronavirus cases were, upping the total number of infections to 79,254.

Spokesman for the Health Ministry Khaled Megahed said 53 patients died from the virus over the past 24 hours, raising the overall death toll to 3,617.

As many as 512 patients were discharged from isolation hospitals after receiving necessary medical care, bringing the total number of recoveries to 22,753 so far, the spokesman added.