Egypt suspending all flights amid coronavirus spread
As the number of Egypt's COVID-19 cases rise to 150, Cairo says that all flights will be suspended for nearly two weeks and that tourism sites will be thoroughly sanitized.
In an effort to control the spread of the coronavirus, Egypt is suspending all flights into and out of the country's airports beginning at noon Thursday, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said today.
The flight shutdown will last through March 31 and during that time Egypt will sanitize hotels and tourist attractions. Egypt’s economy relies heavily on foreign tourism, and in February alone hosted more than 900,000 tourists.
Losses in the tourism and aviation sectors during this period could exceed 2.25 billion Egyptian pounds ($143 million), Madbouly said.
"The decisions taken by the government to fight the virus have economic repercussions, but the state’s priority is to protect citizens," Madbouly said in a televised news conference.
