Egypt testing staff at lodging of tourists who caught coronavirus

Egyptian authorities have been testing staff at the site where tourists later diagnosed with the novel coronavirus had stayed before returning to France, Egypt’s prime minister said Saturday.

France said on Friday six travelers returning from Egypt had been diagnosed with the COVID-19 illness, raising an earlier toll of two.

Egyptian premier Mostafa Madbouly said on Saturday that Cairo had been informed of the cases, “part of a tourist group visiting in Egypt between February 5-16.”

“Workers at the site where the group stayed have been tested” for the virus, the statement said without revealing its location.

Coronavirus cases have been confirmed in 59 countries, killing more than 2,900 people and infecting over 85,000 since the first case was detected in China late last year.

On Thursday, Egypt’s health ministry announced the “recovery” of the country’s only detected case.