Air travellers wear masks as they arrive at Ivalo Airport, Finland January 24, 2020. On Thursday, two tourists visiting Finland from Wuhan, China went to a health centre in Ivalo, seeking treatment for flu-like symptoms. The tourists are suspected of bein

CAIRO - 26 January 2020: The Association of Egyptian Travel Agencies banned tourism flights from and to China until further notice as a precaution after the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus, the association announced in a statement on Sunday.



The association cancelled all the Chinese tourism companies' bookings in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh, Hughada and Aswan, the statement continued.



The ban could affect the tourism revenues as China allocates 10 percent of all inbound tourism to Egypt, said member at the association Osama Munir.



In a statement, the Egyptian Embassy in China announced that it formed a follow-up committee to contact the Egyptian community in the city of Wuhan, calling upon the Egyptians living in the province to contact the embassy on the phone number (+20) 1065322541.



The embassy said that the registered number of Egyptian expatriates in the province has reached 315 so far.



Assistant Foreign Minister for Consular and Expatriates Affairs Yasser Mahmoud Hashim affirmed that that no positive cases were reported among Egyptians in the province, adding that the embassy offers all kinds of support to the expats in light of the Chinese Government's decision to put Wuhan under quarantine and suspend all transportation to and from the city, in which 13 people have died of the virus.



"A mobile application was also created to communicate with all Egyptian students in China," President of Banha University Hassan al-Maghrby said. He added that data of the 100 Egyptian students and their relatives were registered in the application, noting that other phone numbers were specialized to receive the students’ complaints. The university president asserted that all students are in good condition.



According to the Chinese minister of health, 56 people died of the virus and more than 2,000 were confirmed infected worldwide. The Chinese authorities also announced that the virus could spread faster.



Meanwhile, Minister of Health Hala Zayed confirmed that Egypt is free from the new virus, adding during her inspection tour at the Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport on Sunday that the ministry has already taken all the necessary measures against it.



Egypt’s Ministry of Health earlier declared a state of emergency in quarantines at all the state’s air, maritime and ground outlets as a protection against the outbreak of the new coronavirus.



The Ministry of Health added that all inbound and outbound travelers from and to the country are being inspected, noting that the hospitals nationwide have been notified of the necessary measures and treatment.



Head of the preventive medicine sector at the Ministry of Health Alaa Eid said in TV statements on Friday that the new virus is the third type of coronavirus. Coronavirus types range from common cold to severe forms that are life-threatening, including SARS and MERS.



Other world states are on alert after confirming new cases in the U.S. The third infected case was confirmed in southern California. The two other cases were reported in Washington D.C. and Chicago. Four cases were reported in Japan, which announced that Japanese citizens will return from Wuhan via charter flights.









