Tourism min. denies closure of archeological sites over coronavirus

CAIRO – 12 March 2020: Minister of Tourism Khaled al-Anani denies the closure of any archeological site in the country over the fear of coronavirus spread, ensuring that the ministry is working on a daily basis to protect tourists and employees at the sector.

“Coronavirus is affecting the whole world, and Egypt is among the least countries affected by the virus,” Anani said during a press conference on Tuesday.

Earlier, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly held a meeting with a number of ministers to discuss urgent solutions for the crowding problem at places carrying out PCR tests for Egyptians planning to travel abroad.

This comes as some countries set a PCR test negative result as a condition for accepting the entry of travelers.

During the joint conference, Minister of Health Hala Zayed announced that travelers who want to undertake the test are required to register through the website www.clab.mohp.gov.eg to make an appointment for the test.

She further said that the tests are carried out in Cairo at Abbasiya Fever Hospital, and at Imbaba Fever Hospital in Giza, adding that samples are taken from 12 a.m. to 3 a.m., and tests are carried out from 3 a.m. to 8 a.m., while the reports are ratified from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. every day.