Daily COVID-19 roundup: June 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 Saturday, June 6:

• Controversy around the pricing at private hospitals and their place in the healthcare system continued over the weekend:

• • • • “Prices at private hospitals for treating coronavirus patients are too high,” said Health Minister Hala Zayed, calling on citizens to report any private hospitals that are overcharging their patients for COVID-19 treatment.
      • The Health Ministry put a cap on treatment at private hospitals last week, though the Doctors Syndicate has called out poor implementation and some actors in the private health industry have flat-out refused to comply.
      • As the number of daily infections hovers just shy of 1,500 on Saturday night, and after the higher education minister explained that modeling puts the real numbers much higher, government messaging was still telling people to remain calm at the end of last week as Hossam Hosny, who chairs the Scientific Committee to Combat the Coronavirus, said “we haven’t yet reached the point of catastrophe.”
         

• News on plasma therapy treatment also came in. 

• • • Several patients recovered after plasma therapy, according to a Friday Health Ministry announcement.
    • According to Ehab Serag Eddin, who directs the National Blood Transfusion Services body under the ministry, 30 patients went through plasma therapy trials, with signs that the treatment relieved symptoms and decreased the need for ventilators.
    • The ministry urged recovered COVID-19 patients to donate plasma 14 days after their recovery. Five blood transfusion labs around the country have been designated to receive those willing to donate.
       
  • In news on healthcare system capacity:
    • Seven new hospitals were added to a list of isolation hospitals designated to treat and quarantine COVID-19 patients.
    • Yet the repurposing of hospitals for COVID-19 appears to have led to problems in Minya. MP Hussein Gheita said that all of Minya’s health facilities have been turned to isolation hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients, leaving residents with no choice but to leave the governorate if they need treatment for other diseases. Gheita called for comprehensive healthcare provision in Minya, rather than services exclusively for COVID-19.
    • Following concern about reporting the number of patients accurately after a push for home isolation, the Health Ministry has urged health directorates in Cairo and elsewhere to submit the names of people isolating at home to the ministry on a daily basis.
       
  • Elsewhere, the ministry updated protocol in a fashion which will reduce the number of tests being carried out and free up space at quarantine facilities.
    • Among changes to protocol was the decision that blood tests will no longer be obligatory for people returning via Egyptian airports, and rapid temperature screenings will be used instead.
    • Passengers will also be asked to sign a home quarantine letter committing to self-isolate for 14 days upon their arrival, replacing an earlier system which quarantined returnees for 14 days at university dorms and hotels run by the Health Ministry.
    • As for patients quarantining at hospitals, those who are asymptomatic will now be considered to have recovered 10 days after testing positive for COVID-19.
    • Patients with mild symptoms will be allowed to leave hospitals 10 days after symptoms began to show, provided no new symptoms appear in the final three days. PCR testing will not be redone in such cases, according to the protocol. 
    • The health minister commented on high rates of demand wiping out the supply of immunity-boosting drugs like hydroxychloroquine at pharmacies. “People have bought them all,” the minister said, encouraging people who have not yet had COVID-19 to focus instead on preventive measures like washing their hands and wearing masks.
       

Coexisting with COVID-19

• News on the plan to get the economy going again in mid-June, under the “coexisting with coronavirus” initiative
  • “No economy can sustain such conditions,” said Finance Minister Mohamed Maeit, commenting on the importance of things returning to “normal” in order to avoid irreparable economic damage.
  • 1 million masks were provided for the Railway Authority and metro stations after the transport minister to procure them at cost price
  • Plans to reopen the tourism sector were reviewed over the weekend. Conditions include limiting the number of visitors to closed spaces, and installing hygiene measures at entrances, exits and ticket booths. With flights slated to resume early July, Egypt is preparing to launch promotional campaigns at resorts in Europe, especially Germany, Italy, Britain and some eastern European countries. Meanwhile, health and safety licenses were granted to 15 new hotels to accept domestic tourists on Friday.
     

Who cares for the healthcare workers?

• News over the weekend continued to show the virus taking a considerable toll on health workers on the front line

• • MP Evelyn Boutros has noted that doctors have been unable to get time off for childcare. In her comment, Boutros cited a childcare law, which only allows for women to take time off to look after children. The news comes after the government took a hard line on doctors last week, with the PM tasking governors with preventing doctors from taking leave for two months. 
  • As infections among paramedics mount, the Egyptian Ambulance Authority urged the Cabinet to treat paramedics like army or police personnel killed in service. The head of the Paramedics Syndicate revealed that there have been 85 officially recorded infections, and two recorded deaths. 
  • The head of Abbassiya Chest Hospital, which witnessed a major outbreak among its medical staff, commented on the news at the weekend, stating that the numbers that are circulating are incorrect, though declining to disclose the correct number on grounds of “preserving the medical team’s morale” 
  • A professor at Al-Azhar University’s Medical Faculty, Roushdy Mahgoub, has died after contracting COVID-19.
  • Pediatric surgeon Mahmoud el-Nozahy died over the weekend after contracting COVID-19, as did gynecologist Nermeen Galal. 
  • A health inspector in Mahalla has contracted COVID-19, as has his wife.
     

Working with COVID-19

• Infections and deaths continue to be reported among those still going to work while curfew measures are in place 
  • Qalyubiya MP Hussein Ashmawy contracted COVID-19 over the weekend, the eighth case recorded among MPs. Meanwhile, Parliament urged MPs and employees to abide by protective measures as it continues with general sessions scheduled for Sunday and Monday.
  • An official at the Agriculture Ministry office has contracted COVID-19 and complained to Cairo24 of delays in the response and tests.
  • On Thursday, an advisor to the Health Ministry announced that he had contracted COVID-19.
  • A canteen attendant at the office of the minister for higher education has contracted COVID-19.
  • A further eight suspected infections have surfaced among employees of the state-owned press, with cases appearing at Al-Ahram, Rosa al-Youssef, Asharq al-Awsat, Akhbar al-Youm and Dar al-Maaref.
  •  Following high infection rates among staff, the Journalists Syndicate has closed its offices and HQ for two weeks. All syndicate services are on hold, except for necessary services located on the ground floor.
  • The National Media Authority announced that it is taking on the role of following up on infected staff. A 24-hour helpline is dedicated to reporting potential cases and receiving any concerns and/or questions.
  • Anchor Dina Zahra contracted COVID-19, as well as Al-Hayah Al Youm anchor Hossam Hadad.
  • After a high frequency of cases among members of the Veterinarians Syndicate, the HQ and medical professional syndicates offices will remain closed for another week. 
  • Head of Engineers Syndicate Hany Dahy has contracted COVID-19.
  • A general at the Kafr al-Sheikh security directorate tested positive. 
  • An employee of Banque Misr has died of COVID-19 complications.
  • Al-Ahly Bank has granted the Qasr al-Ainy isolation hospital LE20 million to improve the quality of healthcare at the hospital for COVID-19 patients.
     

Stuck outside Egypt

• 20,000 Egyptians have been repatriated since the beginning of the pandemic, according to Immigration Minister Nabila Makram.
• She said repatriated Egyptians have been asked to fill in forms upon their arrival indicating their skills and professions as part of efforts to integrate repatriated Egyptians in relevant sectors.
• With those who’ve returned from abroad adding to Egypt’s unemployed, several MPs have called on the Cabinet to present its plans for employing the returnees.
• The PM made a statement on pulling together a ministerial team to make plans to employ the returnees on Friday.
• Many Egyptians are still in Kuwait, with a further 175 diagnosed with COVID-19 in the span of two days.