The second coronavirus case detected in Egypt is a Canadian employee of Khalda Petroleum (KPC), the company announced on Monday.

The statement added that the employee, an oil field expert, tested positive for the virus, and that the company had imposed precautionary tests on its workers in the oil fields and at its headquarters in Cairo.

Assistant to the President of the Company for Medical Affairs Ahmed Sherine said that, after the case was detected, the company dealt with it in accordance with the Egyptian health ministry's guidelines.

Sherine added that the rest of the company's employees are in good health and are following the global health guidelines for such cases.

The Egyptian cabinet shared in a statement on its official Facebook page information on the case from a report by the head of the health ministry's preventive medicine department, Alaa Eid.

According to Eid, the case spent a four-hour transit period in another country before arriving in Egypt in February.

He explained the case went to the company's clinic on 1 March to seek medical care, and after consulting with the provincial health directorate, he was diagnosed as a suspected COVID-19 case.

He was put in isolation at El-Negela hospital in Marsa Matrouh governorate, where he tested positive for the virus.

Eid added that the case is stable and is receiving medical care in accordance with the World Health Organization’s guidelines.

He added that, after the case was confirmed, a team from the preventive medicine department in cooperation with the preventive team at the health directorate were sent to the case's work site to perform the appropriate preventive measures.

He added that the ministry had directed the company’s management not to allow any person to exit or enter the site, and to provide detailed information about the employees or visitors who had left the site during the past ten days.

According to Eid, samples were taken from seven people who were confirmed to be in close contact with the case at his residence, and the ministry is currently waiting for their laboratory results.

Eid added that 1,500 other potential contacts at the site were quarantined and their temperatures will be measured twice a day for 14 days.

Another 1,427 potential contacts were identified and are being monitored at their place of residence.