Egypt recorded 491 new coronavirus cases and 20 new deaths, raising the country’s total to 11719 cases and 612 deaths, the Ministry of Health reported Saturday. 2950 cases have recovered so far.
Also Saturday, Egypt received its third and largest batch of medical supplies from China, coming in at 30 tonnes, the Ministry of Health has announced.
The batch includes:1 million medical masks; 150,000 N95 masks; 70,000 sets of protective medical gowns; 70,000 medical gloves; 70,000 coronavirus rapid test kits; and 1,000 thermometers.
The latest batch comes just under a week after Egypt received a second batch of medical aid from the Chinese government to fight the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic. The batch, which arrived on 10 May, came in at four tonnes. In April, Egypt received its first batch of medical supplies from China.
In March, Health Minister Hala Zayed travelled with a shipment of medical supplies to China.
Egypt’s total number of coronavirus cases crossed the 10,000 mark last week, and on Friday, the country’s highest recovery rate to date was recorded, with 173 patients discharged from hospital.
Ahmed Mohamed Ibrahim, head of the medical team at Alexandria University Hospital, said on Saturday that 20 coronavirus cases were transferred from the hospital to a specialised isolation hospital. The patients were moved as they required artificial respiration equipment and intensive care.
Also on Saturday, an official source at the Beni Suef Directorate of Health told media that five expatriate Egyptians who had returned from abroad were sent to an isolation hospital. The results of their preliminary medical tests reportedly revealed there was a likelihood they were positive for the coronavirus.
This came after Dr Mansour Hassan, President of Beni Suef University, received the first batch of 150 stranded Egyptians coming from the UAE. All the returnees were medically examined and tested for the virus upon arrival.
The governor confirmed that Beni Suef University is equipped to receive 1,205 Egyptian citizens returning from abroad in 3 segments, with the first two regiments scheduled to arrive Saturday.
Hassan pointed out that the university has been prepared to include all appropriate living requirements, entertainment and sports activities. He added that Beni Suef is supported by preventive and precautionary measures in accordance with Ministry of Health instructions.
