Coronavirus outbreak: Egypt confirms death of two senior military officers

A second senior military officer in Egypt has reportedly died of the novel coronavirus on March 23 and the official death toll in Egypt stands at 19 from 366 cases reported nationwide. As per the reports, head of major infrastructure projects at the military engineering authority, Major General Shafee Dawood became the latest high ranking personnel to die from COVID-19 in hospital. He is reportedly the second person to die after Major General Khaled Shaltout,  the army's chief of water management, died from the deadly pandemic on late March 22. 

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According to the state-based media, Shaltout contracted the disease after actively working for "sterilization" procedures to curb the virus. Some other high ranking officials in the Egyptian army have also been confirmed to have been tested positive for the deadly coronavirus, security sources reportedly said. As per the international media reports, the army released a video the previous week which showed the tanks spraying disinfectant in major Cairo areas which included the central metro station in Tahrir Square. 

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'Full transparency'

Khaled Megahed, Health ministry spokesperson reportedly said on March 22 that COVID-19 infections have been identified in 24 of the country's 27 governorates. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi reportedly said on March 22 that the government is dealing with the pandemic with "full transparency" and working hard to contain the spread of the deadly virus. The Egyptian government has been reportedly criticised on social media for its slow handling of the deadly disease. The authorities have implemented strict measures to limit social interaction in the country of 100 million inhabitants. 

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