Egypt confirms first coronavirus case

By Mehmet Nuri Ucar and Ibrahim Ramadan

CAIRO (AA) - Egypt on Friday confirmed its first coronavirus case.

The victim is a foreign national and has been quarantined in the hospital, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

The people who were in contact with the patient will be isolated for two weeks at their residences as a precautionary measure, it added.

Without mentioning the patient's identity or the nationality, the ministry said they have taken all necessary measures and informed World Health Organization on the situation.

With the incident, Egypt has become the second Arab country after the United Arab Emirates where the fatal virus was reported.

According to the China’s National Health Commission, the coronavirus death toll in the country has risen over 1,300, with nearly 64,000 more confirmed cases.

The virus has spread to more than 20 countries but only three deaths have been reported outside mainland China, one each in Japan, Hong Kong, and the Philippines.

The WHO has declared the outbreak a global health emergency.