Daily COVID-19 roundup: July 7

Editor’s note: The daily COVID-19 roundup is part of the Mada Morning Digest, our daily overview of what is making waves in the Arabic language press. If you want all the latest updates on COVID-19 and other leading stories — including coverage of the economy, foreign policy, Parliament, the judiciary, media and much more — to land in your mailbox each morning, subscribe for a free trial here. 

 

Here are the latest figures on COVID-19 as of Monday July 6:

New cases	Recovered	New deaths
969	512	79
Total recoveries	Total cases	Total deaths
21,238	76,222	3,422

 

A step toward assigning Egypt’s medical graduates to hospitals? 

The parliamentary speaker and the Health Ministry suggested on Monday that they had found a solution to assign medical graduates to residencies at hospitals. However, the latest statement on the official social media page of the March 2020 cohort of new medical graduates suggests that their grievances remain. The issue has kept a whole year’s worth of newly qualified doctors from joining a workforce in desperate need of extra staffing during the pandemic.

After the Health Ministry took a unilateral step to make appointments for the medical graduates, despite the fact many had abstained from applying under the ministry’s new system, the newly qualified doctors issued a statement directed at the PM pleading he intervene to solve the crisis on June 3. “We are addressing your honor to grant us an urgent meeting to explain the situation and to allow our point of view and the opposing view to come up with immediate solutions,” said the statement. 

While the statement said that more than 65% of the cohort had abstained from applying under the new assignment system, the Health Minister said yesterday that 55% of the cohort have applied, as she addressed Parliament during a pre-vote discussion on the law to increase the infection allowance for medical professionals. 

The cohort’s representatives have been attempting to get video conference time with the PM over the past month, but have thus far failed to secure a meeting. 

 

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 “We are communicating with all concerned parties and we have contacted the Public Prosecutor following the detention of Ahmed Safwat” — Doctors’ Syndicate statement 

In news of arrests targeting doctors, General Secretary of the Doctors Syndicate Dr. Ehab Taher said the syndicate has reached out to all parties, including the public prosecutor, to discuss the charges against Dr. Ahmed Safwat. The Supreme State Security Prosecution had ordered that Safwat be kept in remand custody for spreading false news. Before being charged by the prosecutor, Safwat disappeared from his home shortly after publishing a Facebook post criticizing comments in which the prime minister had linked a high rate of COVID-19 deaths in Egypt to negligence on the part of doctors. He wrote “The government says that everything is fine and under control, but you enter hospitals and find the opposite,” according to the Associated Press.

 

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What were officials saying about COVID-19 on Monday?

“The state did not collect [expected] revenue worth LE130 billion due to corona, while LE62 bn of the LE100 bn earmarked by president have been spent so far” — Finance Minister Mohamed Maiet

“Tourism sector’s losses due to coronavirus estimated at $1 billion per month” — Tourism Minister Khaled al-Anany

“EgyptAir is still facing the repercussions of the spread of the coronavirus, and its forceful and direct effect on the company’s financial position, which has resulted in its inability to pay loans, flight fees and employees’ salaries, and which led to the company losing LE3 billion” — Roshdy Zakariya, head of EgyptAir Holding Company 

Although airports have reopened and flights resumed bringing in foreign tourists, the finance minister, tourism minister and head of the state’s flagship airline EgyptAir continued to lament the revenues lost to the pandemic, in comments that peppered Monday’s press.

According to the Finance Minister Mohamed Maiet, almost LE130 billion in expected revenues has evaporated due to coronavirus. The tourism industry — which accounts for as much of 12% of Egypt’s GDP, much of its foreign currency inflow as well as being a major employer — is also sustaining losses of around LE16.1 billion per month, while the state-owned air company EgyptAir has sustained LE3 billion in losses so far.

In a letter to employees of EgyptAir, Head of the Egyptair Holding Company Roshdy Zakariya explained that due to the company’s financial position, it would be suspended the annual 7% bonus for staff and all staff promotions until the situation improves. It could be a while before revenue kicks in, however, as Roshdy explained that airlines are still operating at only 20% of their standard capacity.

 

In other updates from the tourism sector:

• Restrictions on travelers moving between Egypt and Greece will be lifted, said the two countries’ tourism ministers on Monday. Those showing symptoms of COVID-19 will be barred from travel, and anyone who contracts COVID-19 during their trip will have to remain in the country they have traveled to and receive treatment there. If tourists wish to be repatriated to receive treatment, then they must do so at their own expense, while authorities will ensure all the necessary safety measures are taken during travel.
   
• Since flights resumed on July 1, 3,000 foreign tourists have visited Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada. Sharm El Sheikh Airport has received 12 charter flights from Ukraine and Belarus while Hurghada Airport has received seven flights from Belarus, Ukraine and Switzerland.
   
• The Tourism Ministry moved to decisively revoke the license of three hotels and resorts in the Red Sea owned by the same “well-known businessman” after several complaints and reports from workers against the owner after salaries were not paid and a number of workers were laid off without severance pay. The decision was to “protect Egypt’s tourism reputation,” said the Tourism Minister Khaled al-Anany.

 

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“We cannot recommend remdesivir as an effective treatment against COVID-19 at the moment” — World Health Organization

“Egypt is participating in trials for 18 potential COVID-19 vaccines” — Presidential Advisor for Health Dr. Mohamed Awad Tag Eddin

 

Chief Scientist of the World Health Organization Dr. Soumya Swaminathan said that trials on remdesivir are still ongoing and that the WHO cannot currently recommend the drug as an effective treatment for COVID-19. Swaminathan added that phase two of testing will take place in two months and that states can use the drug for emergency cases, but that as yet there is no evidence to suggest it reduces death rates. 

Egypt has approved remdesivir to treat COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms and local pharmaceutical company EVA Pharma is currently manufacturing the drug. Egypt has also been actively participating in 18 COVID-19 vaccine trials, said Presidential Health Advisor Dr. Mohamed Awad Tag Eddin on Monday. 

 

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Hospital capacity and patient care 

The Sharqiya Health Directorate along with personnel from the Consumer Protection Agency and the supply police launched an inspection campaign to crack down on protective health equipment of “unknown origins,” and on pharmacies abstaining from selling essential coronavirus medication. A number of official reports were made against several pharmacies and vendors.

More than one month into obligatory mask wearing, clothes manufacturers are finally nearing their targeted supply of cloth masks to the Unified Purchasing Authority. Al-Shorouk reports that 20 million masks are set to be produced in July, and another 20 million in August. Prices are to range between LE5 to LE12 per mask. 

 

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Coexistence with COVID-19

The Egyptian Football Association announced on Monday that the Egyptian Premier League will resume on August 7 and 8. Club-run testing has identified infections among players and staff from many clubs, with outbreaks affecting customary contenders for the title Zamalek SC as well as Tanta SC in particular. These clubs, as well as several others, will not continue in this year’s competition. 

Technical schools, high schools and university finalists continue to sit their exams through the pandemic. In a couple of updates on Monday:

The Education Ministry removed a number of officials overseeing technical diploma exams in Imbaba and Kafr al-Zayat for failing to adhere to anti-infection protocols.

Cairo University has announced the infection control measures it will be taking during the coming exam period. All students will enter campus through sterilization gates, where they will have their temperatures checked. The university will also allocate isolation rooms in all university buildings for any students found to have symptoms. Students must wear masks at all times and avoid gathering in large crowds, while they’ll be prohibited from exchanging any stationery. During the exams, students will be seated 1.5 meters apart. Testing rooms are to be properly ventilated and the use of air conditioners is to be strictly prohibited. 

Less keen than the Education Ministry and the Football Association on carrying on regardless of the coronavirus, the Evangelical Church has announced that all of its churches across Egypt will remain closed until the end of July. 

 

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Who cares for healthcare workers?

In a major announcement on infection rates among healthcare workers, the Health Ministry announced that 835 medical staff in Qalyubiya have contracted COVID-19 since infections started appearing in Egypt early this year. Of the 835 infected, 10 of the Qalyubiya healthcare workers have died from COVID-19. 

Elsewhere, a couple of concessions to health workers were announced. Head of the National Health Insurance Authority Dr. Mohamed Dahy authorized the provision of an LE1,200 bonus for those working in the public health system celebration of the Eid al-Adha. All staff members who work six hours or more a day will be eligible for the bonus. 

MP Abdel Hamid Kamal stated that Parliament has referred a draft law for doctors who die from COVID-19 to be considered martyrs — a status which would confer certain rights and honors to their families — to a joint committee of members from the Legislative and Constitutional Affairs Committee as well as the Social Solidarity Committee.  

 

And in news of medical workers who died due to COVID-19 on Monday:

Ambulance driver Waleed Abdel Basset died from COVID-19 yesterday. Abdel Basset’s death brings the total number of ambulance workers killed by the virus up to 10. 

The Doctor’s Syndicate branch in Daqahlia announced the death of Dr. Samy Sadek who was receiving treatment for COVID-19 at the Manzala Central Hospital. Dr. Sadek is the sixth doctor in Daqahlia to die from COVID-19.