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Egyptians call for presidential palaces to become coronavirus quarantine centres

April 3, 2020 at 10:05 am

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi attends a press conference in Cairo, Egypt on 12 April 2018 [Egyptian Presidency/Anadolu Agency]

Egyptians have called on President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to use the presidential palaces he had built for himself as quarantine centres for coronavirus patients.

The calls came in response to a Twitter campaign launched by opposition journalist, Moataz Matar, calling on Al-Sisi to stick to his word reminding him that he had claimed that he had built the places for the people and not for himself. This, activists said, is when Egyptians would benefit from the buildings.

Others Twitter users called for military hospitals to be converted into quarantine centres.

Yesterday evening, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced that 71 people have tested positive for the coronavirus bringing the country’s total cases to 850 cases.

However, Canadian researchers estimate there to be over 19,000 cases in Egypt amid allegations of a government cover-up.

READ: Proposed COVID-19 pay rise insufficient, say Egypt’s doctors