Egyptian woman gets husband quarantined after coronavirus fight

Cairo has confirmed two cases of the novel coronavirus.
2 min read
02 March, 2020
More than 3,000 people have died from the COVID-19 virus worldwide [AFP]
An Egyptian man was forced into quarantine over false reports lodged by his wife that he had contracted the novel coronavirus, local media reported.

A man in Egypt's El Mahalla El Kubra, the largest city in the northern Gharbia governate, ended up in quarantine after local residents panicked amid reports he had contracted the virus, also known as COVID-19.

The man, who was not named by local media, was released from quarantine after local health authorities confirmed he had not tested positive for the new virus or any other infectious disease.

It later emerged that the man's wife had tripped the alarm and falsely reported him to authorities about having the COVID-19 virus after an argument, An-Nahar reported.

His wife had called a local hospital to say he had contracted the virus after travelling to South Korea, which has become one of the largest epicentres of the global outbreak outside of China.

The man has since moved in with his sister in 10th of Ramadan City, near the capital Cairo.

It is unclear exactly why his wife falsely reported him.

Only two cases of the deadly virus have been confirmed in Egypt but seven cases of the novel coronavirus have been detected in France and Canada, among patients who had recently travelled to the North African nation. 

Those diagnoses have prompted concerns in the region that Egypt may have become a hub for the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Qatar on Sunday imposed a temporary travel ban on visitors coming from Egypt via secondary transit points.

Direct flights between the two countries were suspended in 2017 after Cairo and three Gulf nations accused Doha of supporting extremist groups, charges which Qatar firmly denies.

Kuwait has also added extra screening measures for travellers arriving from Egypt.

The global death toll from the novel coronavirus surpassed 3,000 on Monday, with new cases reported in Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Jordan.

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