A short thread on the virus in Egypt, a.k.a. the most populous country in the Middle East. So far, the government stresses its problem is relatively small and contained. “Thank God, Egypt is one of the least affected countries,” tourism minister Khaled el-Enany said Tuesday.
Growing evidence suggests there’s reason to worry. By our count, at least 104 people, mostly tourists, have tested positive since returning from Egypt in February. That's far more than the 67 cases declared by the government inside the country.
At least 45 of the 67 declared cases are on the Nile cruise boat, A Sara, which is in quarantine in Luxor. All of those people have been transferred to hospital on Egypt's north coast and some have recently tested negative for the virus.
But the other positives discovered abroad suggest the virus is spreading widely. You have 47 Greeks who took a bus to Sinai (one has died). A Tunisian who attended a soccer match in Cairo on Feb. 28. American and French tourists who may have been on other cruise boats.
About the A Sara: A foreigner in Luxor sent this photo, taken Monday, showing tourists crowding into a chicken restaurant right beside it. The tour group apparently did not know they were in front of a quarantine zone because the boat’s name was covered with a sheet. 
Has the virus spread in Luxor, where 3,600 people visited just the Karnak temple on Sunday alone, according to government figures? The government randomly tested 588 people on Monday, and all came back negative. But it remains a worry, although not as big as cities like Cairo.
The Greek pilgrims traveled by bus to Saint Catherine in Sinai where they spent Feb 21-23. At least 47 people from that group are now positive. No word yet on measures to check for spread in Sinai. (Thanks to @mohammednajib in Ramallah for running down this detail).
Egypt has taken measures, cancelling large gatherings and limiting Friday prayers to 15 minutes. But it's very hard to find out more. Questions to @whoegypt are directed to Egypt's Ministry of Health, which does not respond. Would love if they could offer more detail.
