Daily COVID-19 roundup: June 16

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Here are the latest figures on COVID-19 as of Monday, June 15:

Headline events in news on COVID-19 in Egypt on Monday:

Doctors Syndicate demands release of detained doctors

• A statement released on Monday night by the Doctors Syndicate reiterated demands for the immediate release of doctors who it says were detained after publicly commenting on the government’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The syndicate submitted a letter addressed to Public Prosecutor Hamada el-Sawy with the names of the detained doctors, demanding their immediate release, and commenting that their detention spreads a sense of fear among doctors at a sensitive time. According to reporting from Reuters in May, at least three doctors have been arrested during the coronavirus outbreak in Egypt on accusations of spreading false news, misusing social media, and joining a “terrorist organization.” Their lawyers told Reuters that they had posted criticism of the government’s response to the pandemic on social media.

PM inspects Egypt’s first field hospital, drive in testing to be used soon

• PM Mostafa Madbuly inspected a new field hospital at Ain Shams University Hospital on Monday, which covers an area of 4,500 meters and has a 200-bed capacity. The field hospital is meant to make up for COVID-19 bed shortages at Health Ministry hospitals designated for COVID-19 treatment. The LE33 million project is funded by the Tahya Masr Fund with support of the CBE, according to director of Ain Shams University Mahmoud al-Mateeny. The hospital is scheduled to start operating on Thursday. 
• A drive-through screening service, Egypt’s first, has also been launched as part of the field hospital. Prime Speed Medical collaborated to launch the service that will allow users to get three types of tests from their cars: PCR tests, rapid tests for antibodies, and blood tests. Samples are to be collected and sent to university hospitals.

Public and private sector to team up on testing?

• “We do not mind coordinating with the private sector [on PCR testing],” Health Minister Hala Zayed said Monday, in the latest news on what has thus far been a fraught relationship between the public and private health sector. Labs at private hospitals currently do not have permission to conduct PCR tests, but are allowed to coordinate with the ministry to send swabs to central laboratories for testing.

Bed tracker in Monufiya

• The governorate of Monufiya has launched a website dedicated to tracking and providing live updates on the number of hospital beds available in the governorate. The website, which can be found here, will also track how many intensive care beds and ventilators are free.

Cluster of infections at Ismailia factory

• An outbreak of coronavirus among workers from factories in the Ismailia investment zone has raised concerns that the industrial zone could be a hotbed for infection. An employee who spoke to Cairo24 said that despite workers' requests, companies in the zone are operating at full capacity, with insufficient precautionary measures and no willingness to test those who came into contact with the 10 infected workers.
   
• Comments on Monday from government officials working on the coronavirus response
  • With the daily rate of deaths due to COVID-19 creeping up to 97, Health Minister Hala Zayed commented on the increase in a Sunday statement, explaining that the majority of cases who have died were also suffering with pre-existing chronic illnesses.
  • As a response to high infections and death rate, Dr. Awad Tag Eddin said the government is pushing for the non-commercial production of the anti-viral remdesivir after it was introduced as part of the COVID-19 treatment protocol earlier in the month.
  • “The Egyptian government has dealt efficiently with the COVID-19 crisis,” IMF mission chief for Egypt Mission Uma Ramakrishnan has told Al-Shorouk, as she commented on the recent measures to combat the financial impact of COVID-19, including Egypt’s borrowing US$8 billion from the IMF.
  • “It has become clear that the international system post-COVID-19 crisis will differ substantially from how it was before the outbreak,” said Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry during a symposium entitled "Egyptian diplomacy: Dealing with current challenges."

Coexisting with COVID-19

• In updates on future plans to lift restrictions on movement, gatherings and events
  • With 600,000 students due to take high school exams on June 21, the education minister reviewed the measures being taken to prevent COVID-19 transmission among students. The General Authority for Health Insurance is to make 560 ambulances available in front of exam sites. In related news, MP Tarek Metwaly proposed stadiums be used as exam halls as an extra measure to ensure social distancing.
  • Sports Minister Ashraf Sobhy announced plans to reopen sports clubs at the beginning of July:
    • Health clubs will open from July 1, and be in full operation by July 15.
    • Football training may resume on June 20, while official matches can resume July 25.
    • Sports club boards will be allowed to prepare for employees to return to work and clean clubs from June 15 – June 30.
    • A quarantine area must be provided at each club, as well as a medic and healthcare official on the premises.
    • A medical committee will be responsible for following up on implementation. 
    • Information Minister Osama Heikal commented on the plans, saying that if any health precautions need to be taken the plans will change, and adding that “the health of citizens is the priority.”
  • A group of tourists from Belgium is coming to Hurghada from June 26–28, the governor of the Red Sea announced. 
  • He added that another 72 hotels have been granted permits to operate in the governorate.

Who cares for healthcare workers?

• In news of how coronavirus is affecting workers on the front lines of pandemic response:
  • Dr. Ali Hassan Al-Arabi, head of the Chronic Diseases Department at Khazendara General Hospital, died yesterday at Sahel Teaching Hospital after contracting COVID-19.
  • Dr. Adel Fouad Ramzy, a prominent hepatologist and professor of surgery at Cairo University, has died after contracting COVID-19.
  • Kamal Kamel, a paramedic, has died of COVID-19.
  • The labor force minister is following up on the case of an Egyptian doctor in Kuwait who was assaulted by a patient’s father during a shift at Northern Crusades Dispensary.

Working with COVID-19

•  And finally, in news of how coronavirus affected workers elsewhere on Sunday:
  • A Coptic priest has died of COVID-19 in Cairo.
  • Abdel Fattah Bin Dakrour, a professor of Quranic recitation, has died of COVID-19.
  • Hamed Abdo Saad al-Fiqi, jurisprudence professor at the Faculty of Sharia and Law in Tanta and dean of the Faculty of Islamic and Arab Studies for Girls in Damanhour, has died after contracting COVID-19 shortly after the death of his son, Mohamed, head of the Tanta Administrative Prosecution. 
  • 12 COVID-19 cases have been detected among members of the Engineers Syndicate in Kafr al-Sheikh.
  • Derb Nagm Post Office in Sharqiya has closed after an employee contracted COVID-19.