Egypt announced a host of preventive and precautionary measures against infectious diseases at educational institutions, as fears over coronavirus that originated in China continue to mount globally.

Health ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said the implementation of the plan, which commences with the beginning of the second school semester, includes training medical teams to treat infectious diseases and familiarising them with preventive and precautionary measures against communicable diseases.

It also includes the decontamination of classes and acquainting teachers about the necessary hygiene measures, as well as means to handle infectious diseases to prevent their spread.

Megahed said that in case of a suspected case at a school, the student will be immediately isolated in the school's observation room until the proper procedures are taken.

People in contact with the case will also be observed to prevent contagion, Megahed said, adding that sick students should commit to their sick leaves recommended by doctors.

The health ministry's plan was announced a few days after the education ministry denied media reports that the ministry will put off the second school semester, scheduled to resume on 8 February, due to coronavirus outbreak.

The fast-spreading virus first surfaced in December in the Chinese city of Wuhan, killing over 700 people in China, one in the Philippines so far and infecting more than 31,503, mostly in China.

Egypt has already sent back home its expats in Wuhan, placing them in a quarantine to contain any possible contamination.

The deadly virus, which has spread to a dozen countries, has not been detected in Egypt or any country in the Middle East, with the exception of the United Arab Emirates, where seven people have been diagnosed with the virus.