Daily COVID-19 roundup: July 20

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Here are the latest figures on COVID-19 as of Sunday, July 19:

What were officials saying about COVID-19 on Sunday? 

“The number of ICU beds occupied by COVID-19 patients is decreasing due to a decrease in infection rates” — Dr. Gihan al-Assal, deputy head of the Scientific Committee for Combating COVID-19

“We estimate that we have passed the peak in the spread of the coronavirus but any false sense of security could lead to a loosening in precautionary measures, which could mean cases rise again,” “work is being done to create a vaccine, results are promising and will be ready by October [...]” — Dr. Mohamed Abdel-Fattah, head of the Central Department for Preventative Medicine at the Health Ministry, in comments to Extra News

Dr. Gihan al-Assal, deputy head of the Health Ministry’s Scientific Committee for Combating COVID-19, said in comments to the Hayat al-Youm program on the Al-Hayah channel this Sunday that the decrease in COVID-19 infections has reduced the pressure on the healthcare system and freed up beds in ITUs nationwide.

Similar news of reduced pressure on the health system came from Cairo24 on Sunday, which announced that 14 isolation hospitals had returned to normal operations given a drop in the number of coronavirus patients. The privately-owned news website also announced that one specialist coronavirus isolation department had closed in the Suez Canal University Hospital, while the Tameed al-Ameded Hospital, which was created as an isolation facility, has reportedly shut down altogether.

Health officials remained somewhat cautious in their comments to the press. Though there are more and more voices claiming Egypt is "past the peak,” Assal stressed the importance of maintaining social distancing and practicing good personal hygiene, while Dr. Mohamed Abdel-Fattah, head of the Central Department for Preventative Medicine at the Health Ministry, said that while it was likely that Egypt had passed the peak in infection, care must be taken to limit the chances of a second wave. 

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Coexistence with COVID-19

While wave one of infections may be winding down, the effects of the coronavirus pandemic continue to ripple through the economy, with figures released today indicating the extent of the losses suffered by the transport sector in the pandemic-induced absence of passengers.

Nearly 14.6 percent in revenue has been lost by the Railway Authority since the beginning of the pandemic. The sector wasn’t exactly in the best shape in the first place with around LE250 billion in debts weighing it down. The new losses are valued at nearly LE365 million.

Over in the private sector, transport company Mwasalat Misr, which is 70 percent owned by the UAE, also requested a one-year extension on loan repayments after it recorded LE20 million in losses. The new deadline would double the six-month extension on all loan installments for corporate and individual bank customers that was among the first economic measures taken by the central bank to mitigate the effect of the coronavirus in March.

Mwasalat Misr CEO Hesham Taha called on Sunday for the public transport sector to be given the same level of government support and assistance as the aviation sector, explaining that it too has suffered from selling fewer tickets during the lockdown, while still needing to maintain its fleet.

Despite the government’s support, the aviation sector seems to be faltering as well. Deputy chairman of Nile Air Yousry Abdel Wahab stated that the airline is currently operating at less than 10% capacity with one to two flights departing every day instead of the 21 daily flights that used to depart daily before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abdel Wahab has complained that private airlines have struggled to get hold of soft loans from the central bank, lashing out at the inequity of treatment between state airline EgyptAir and airlines in the private sector.

Outside of services, the stuffing has also come out of the textiles sector, with clothing companies suffering major losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ready-made Garments Chamber at the Federation of Egypt’s Chamber of Commerce announced that the pandemic has halted the production of school uniforms and that resulting losses could reach  LE10 billion. After tourism, the textiles sector has been the second-largest claimant of Manpower Ministry loans to keep employees paid. 

In other news of how the coronavirus is affecting those working through the pandemic: 

• MP Ahmed Farghaly, a lawmaker representing Port Said, who sits on the Economic Committee, announced on Sunday night that he has tested positive for the coronavirus. According to coverage from Cairo24, Farghaly is self-isolating at home
  
• Three students in Manafalout, Assiut were taken to hospital after they fell ill while taking yesterday’s thanaweya amma exams. Whether or not they have coronavirus is as yet unknown
  
• 505 kindergartens across 21 governorates have gained approval to reopen after meeting the Social Solidarity Ministry’s hygiene conditions. But, the ministry has closed a kindergarten in the Red Sea and another in Beni Suef for reopening without the proper permits.

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Who cares for healthcare workers?

Member of the Doctors Syndicate board Dr. Ibrahim al-Zayat announced that the number of doctors who have died of COVID-19 in Egypt has reached 137. The latest two doctors to have died were:

• Dr. Wissam al-Deeb, assistant obstetrics and gynecology professor at Fayoum University
• Dr. Rizk Ahmed Abdallah, a gynecologist and manager at Torah Hospital