The head of Egypt’s Doctors’ Union has called for a full lockdown across the country to help fight the new Coronavirus pandemic. It comes amid a spike in infections in the Arab World’s most populous country.
Dr. Hussein Khairy told local media Sunday that he sent a letter to Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly last week urging for the proposed lockdown to last for two weeks or until the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
He argued that the lockdown would deal a “swift and massive blow” to the virus and “flatten” the curve of infections.
Egypt has halted international air travel and shuttered schools, universities, mosques, churches and archaeological sites, including the famed Giza pyramids. A curfew is in place from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The partial lockdown is to continue until the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The country of 100 million people has experienced a surge in infections in the past couple of days, with the daily reported new cases around 500.
