The La Vache Qui Rit cheese factory in 10th of Ramadan City in Sharqiya governorate has shut down after 12 workers there were diagnosed with COVID-19, its manufacturer Bel Egypt Group company said in a statement.

The company said that tests confirmed the infection of 12 workers, and that precautionary and preventative measures have been taken to isolate all the factory's 1,500 workers for a period of 14 days on paid leave.

“The isolation decision includes factory workers, the sales department, the supplier chain management, and even those who work online from their homes,” the statement said.

The statement added that these measures are in line with the recommendations of the World Health Organisation.

Egypt has so far registered 3,144 coronavirus cases and 239 fatalities since the first case was discovered in mid-February.

Last week, factories in Egypt were authorised by the government to resume work at full capacity.

Since the first coronavirus case was discovered in mid-February, the Egyptian government has adopted preventative measures including the closure of schools and universities and the suspension of international flights.

The government also introduced a series of other sweeping measures in March to curb the spread of the virus, including imposing a night-time curfew, banning large gatherings, shutting mosques and churches, as well as suspending all public transportation during the Sham El-Nessim national holiday on 20 April.