Egypt suspends football activities amid COVID-19 fears

Cairo, March 15 (IANS) The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has decided to suspend all activities for 15 days to control the spread of the novel coronavirus.In a statement on Saturday, the EAF said the decision applies to all divisions and local competitions, adding that the move came in accordance with the instructions of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Youth and Sports, the Xinhua news agency reports.Earlier in the day, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi decided to suspend school and university classes across the country for two weeks due to concerns about the spread of the novel coronavirus.During his meeting with Madbouly, Sisi also allocated 100 billion Egyptian pounds (6.36 billion U.S. dollars) to finance the anti-COVID-19 comprehensive plan and its precautionary measures.According to Egypt's health ministry, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Egypt hit 109, with two death cases.Since the emergence of the coronavirus, Egypt has adopted an integrated plan which covers early detection, quarantine and treatment measures, as well as raising public awareness.
--IANS rkm/dpb