Egypt confirmed on Friday the first case of coronavirus in Africa, the state's health ministry announced in a statement.
It added that the affected person was a foreigner who had been put into isolation at hospital, confirming that all preventive measures have been taken to prevent the outbreak of the deadly virus inside Egypt.
On his part, the ministry's spokesman Khaled Megahed said that they have immediately informed the World Health Organization WHO.
It is noteworthy that Egypt evacuated 301 of its citizens from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus.
The evacuated citizens were put in quarantine in Marsa Martouh governorate for 14 days, which is the estimated incubation period of the coronavirus.
“If anyone of them suffers from an increase in body temperature, he or she will be transferred to the equipped quarantine hospital immediately,” Minister of Health Dr. Hala Zayed said.
The Egyptian government has designated El-Negelah Central Hospital in Marsa Matrouh as a quarantine hospital.
Zayed added that the special jet carrying Egyptians, who requested to return home, included 290 passengers and 11 babies, in addition to a 14-member crew and a special medical team of eight doctors and nurses.
An Airbus A330-200 aircraft took off from Cairo International Airport on Sunday morning bound for Wuhan with a special health ministry medical team on board.
This step comes in the implementation of Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s directives to take all necessary measures to ease the return of Egyptians from Wuhan.
The Ministry of Health, working with other authorities, has been tasked with ensuring all necessary logistical support is provided to those in quarantine.
Wuhan, in China’s Hubei province, has become the epicenter of a virus outbreak which has killed at least 362.
The (WHO) declared a global emergency due to the rapid outbreak of the virus. Many global airlines, including EgyptAir, announced the suspension of all flights to and from China.
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