Egypt has registered 17 news cases of new novel coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the country's total cases to 110, 33 of whom have been recovered. The Ministry of Health said late Saturday that the new cases are three foreigners of different nationals and 14 Egyptians including two returned from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, while the others contacted cases who tested positive to the pandemic. The cases include only two deaths of a German national who died on 8 March, and an Egyptian woman who died on 12 March in Dakahlia. Courts were been suspended on Sunday across the country for two weeks as part of the state efforts against the pandemic which is spreading across the world. Marriage and condolence ceremonies were also halted in mosques, the Endowments Ministry announced Saturday. Several private companies have allowed their employees to work from home for the upcoming two weeks, as calls raised to allow working mothers to work remotely this period. Education Minister Tarek Shawki revealed on Saturday that there are seven students tested positive to the COVID-19 in schools in Cairo, Alexandria, Giza, Belbeis (Sharqia.) Costal city Alexandria registered at least two positive cases of the pandemic of a husband and his wife returning recently from Italy in Sidi Bishr neighbourhood, Alexandria Health Directorate said. The Directorate carried out the sterilisation and disinfection to the streets of the neighbourhood after they announced the cases. Earlier on Saturday, President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi suspended schools and universities across the country for two weeks and announced EGP 100bn emergency package to combat the COVID-19. During a press conference on Saturday, Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly urged Egyptian students and elders to limit their public gatherings and to stick to personal hygiene standards in order to combat the spread of the pandemic. Madbouly said the EGP 100bn emergency fund, announced Al-Sisi will be used to combat Coronavirus and cushion impacts on the Egyptian economy. The Egyptian government has been already taken measures to combat the spread of the disease in the country. It halted sports activities, prevent public gatherings as well as the movement of large groups of people between governorates.
