Egypt’s Health Minister Hala Zayed announced during the Cabinet weekly meeting on Thursday that the ministry was working on improving the capacity of the coronavirus hotline (105), as well as providing another hotline for coronavirus reports for patients with pre-existing conditions and chronic diseases.
The hotline will provide psychological support via specialized doctors through an audio or video call, she added.
The current hotline, which is dedicated to communicating with all suspected cases of coronavirus and responding to citizens’ inquiries, receives about 20,000 calls on a daily basis.
In a related context, Egypt’s cabinet media center also said last week that it had designated two numbers on the mobile call and messaging application WhatsApp for citizens to report “rumors” about the virus, warning that those who spread false information about COVID-19 online could face legal measures under the penal code and cybercrime law.
Citizens can call the number 01155508688 or 01155508851 to report rumors or “false news” about the virus 24 hours a day, a statement from the cabinet media center said, adding that all legal measures will be taken, in coordination with concerned authorities, against any individual spreading rumors and/or publishing “false news” and statements on the virus with the aim of undermining public security or harming the public interest.
The statement warned citizens to exercise caution when it comes to the information they share online to avoid being subjected to legal measures.
Egypt confirmed 210 coronavirus cases as of Thursday morning, 28 of whom have fully recovered from the illness.
Six people have died from COVID-19 in Egypt.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
