The Egyptian consulate general in Milan issued a statement on Sunday calling on all Egyptians in northern Italy to be cautious over the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic in the northern parts of the country. The consulate urged all expats to adhere to necessary preventive measures by avoiding crowded places and limiting their outings, especially for the elderly, adding that it is in communication with Italian authorities to check on Egyptian expats. The consulate also asserted the need to report any coronavirus cases among the Egyptian expat community via its official social network page, its emergency number (3890048448), or the email of the Egyptian diplomatic mission in Italy ([email protected]). Italy has locked down much of its northern region, including the financial capital Milan, in an attempt to contain the outbreak of coronavirus, which saw the number of deaths leap sharply again on Sunday. Egypt's foreign ministry announced last week that at least two Egyptian expats in northern Italy had contracted the coronavirus and that the consulate was following up on their cases. There are 560,000 Egyptians living in Italy, according to a 2017 census by the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics. Italy is considered the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in Europe.
