Football matches were suspended in all divisions for two weeks as Egypt tries to contain the outbreak of the coronavirus, the country s football association (EFA) said on Saturday.
"As per instructions from the Prime Minister and the Minister of Youth and Sports, and after reviewing the recommendations of the Medical Committee of the Egyptian Football Association, the Egyptian Football Association decided to suspend football games for 15 days starting Monday," the EFA said in a statement.
"The decision applies to all divisions of local competitions."
The EFA s decision came a few hours after the sports ministry said there was no need to suspend sports activities for the time being.
Major football countries, including Britain, Italy and Spain, have recently suspended football matches until early April.
Since its outbreak in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, coronavirus (COVID-19) has infected more than 145,000 people globally and killed more than 5,500.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Egypt has reached 109.
The Egyptian government has been taking a number of preventive measures in an effort to limit the spread of the virus, deciding on Saturday to close schools and universities for two weeks, starting Sunday 15 March.
Egypt has raised the alert level in hospitals, airports, and land ports, and has suspended flights to many countries that have reported major outbreaks.
