The Ministry of Health denied media reports that the ministry inspected Chinese restaurants in Egypt on the back of Coronavirus outbreak outside the country.
In a ministerial statement on Monday, Khaled Mogahed, spokesperson of the Ministry of Health, said the Egyptian Food Safety Authority always conducted periodic inspection campaigns on all food establishments in the country.
It is part of the ministry’s role to oversee food establishments, control food markets, and ensure restaurants meet required health standards in accordance with the laws and regulations of the state.
“No Coronavirus cases were detected or suspected in Egypt,” said the spokesperson.
Mogahed further explained that a medical plan was developed by the ministry to address the emerging Coronavirus and prevent its entry into the country via several steps, including raising the public health alarm at all quarantine departments in the country’s entry points to its highest level.
He pointed out that health monitoring cards will be issued to any person coming from China to Egypt. The General Administration of Quarantine will monitore them for 14 days from the date of arrival.
According to Mogahed, all travellers coming from the areas where the disease appeared, were checked, and if any passenger was found positive for the virus, they would be immediately isolated. A letter has been circulated to all health facilities nationwide defining the disease and how to deal with it, as well as preventive measures for medical service providers.
Meanwhile, Egyptian airports also have taken several preventive measures against the virus. These measures include obligating passengers to wear a muzzle on mouth and nose, and providing health cards to passengers on board.
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses with some causing less-severe disease, such as the common cold, and others causing more severe disease such as MERS and SARS. Some transmit easily from person to person, while others do not. Symptoms of the virus include fever and cough, and some people should have difficulty breathing. The symptoms appear between 2-14 days after being exposed to the virus.
