Egypt disinfects ancient pyramids
The last standing wonders of the ancient world themselves would need specific care, with work to be carried out by a specialist team of excavators, the site's director Ashraf Mohie El-Din said.
The ancient site was shut by government-order as part of measures which include a two-week curfew, the closure of all museums and archaeological sites and the suspension of flights. Workers on Wednesday sanitised the wooden pathways that lead up to the three pyramids as well as ticketing offices and the visitors centre at the site's entrance.
The work carried out by the Egyptian ministry of antiquities is part of a project aimed at sanitising all tourist sites across Egypt, including hotels and museums in Cairo and other tourist hotspots in the country.
Authorities face a challenge tackling the virus in a country of 100 million where many live in fertile areas around the Nile and public health services can be severely stretched. The number of coronavirus cases confirmed by the health ministry rose by 36 on Tuesday (March 24) to 402. There was one new death, bringing the total to 20.
