John Jabbour, the representative of the World Health Organisation in Egypt, has said that 13 per cent of coronavirus infections in Egypt are health workers, stressing the need for the authorities to take more rigorous and rapid measures to protect them. Jabbour called on the Ministry of Health to increase the number of tests to reduce the period between the onset of symptoms to hospitalisation. He pointed out that 30 per cent of corona deaths in Egypt occurred before patients arrived at the isolation hospitals, and a decrease in the number of daily tests may be the reason for this. Jabbour recommended coordinating with other government institutions to ensure that the measures for social distancing are applied, especially after the crowds in the markets and streets seen this week. Infection cases of doctors and nurses increased significantly last week, and many hospitals and medical centres were closed.

Doctors in Egypt complain about the lack of personal protective equipment, such as masks and disinfectant, and many of them are forced to purchase them at their own cost, while the ministry confirms that there is no shortage of supplies in any hospital.