Egypt's Gezira Sporting Club will designate one of its buildings for quarantining coronavirus cases under a deal signed with the health ministry and the Housing and Development Bank, the ministry said on Tuesday. A social building at the upscale club's branch in 6 October city will be earmarked for quarantining and treating clinically mild cases of coronavirus starting next week, health ministry spokesperson Khaled Megahed said in a statement. The deal is part of ongoing cooperation between government bodies and community state institutions to tackle the pandemic, the statement added. The signing was attended by youth and sports minister Ashraf Sobhy. Youth and Sports Minister Ashraf Sobhi and Health Minister Hala Zayed witnessing the signing of the protocol on Tuesday (photo credit: Health Ministry) The government said last month that mild coronavirus cases, including patients who have responded to treatment or show no symptoms, would be kept at hotels, university hostels and other facilities to alleviate the burden on healthcare workers at hospitals and to give priority at isolation hospitals to patients in medium or critical condition. Under the deal, the Housing and Development Bank will equip the Gezira building to receive patients. The facility, which will start receiving patients on Saturday, will be under the medical and technical supervision of the health ministry, which will provide health workers, medical equipment and drugs, the statement added. The two-storey building has the capacity of 200 beds and is divided into four halls, two for women and children, and two for men. Some 110 staff members will serve at the building, including 60 doctors and nurses, as well as cleaning and security personnel. A picture showing one of four halls of the newly-designated building in El-Gezira Club to be a quarantine for coronavirus cases (photo credit: Health Ministry) A joint committee will be formed of representatives from the ministries and the bank to ensure efficient services are offered to patients, youth ministry spokesman Mohamed Fawzi said. On Tuesday, Egypt surpassed the 10,000 mark of coronavirus cases nationwide, almost three months after detecting the first COVID-19 case in mid-February. Though it took the country around seven weeks to reach the 1,000 infections milestone, it only took three days for Egypt to reach the latest 10,000 mark.
