Egypt’s state-owned Banque du Caire announced the closure of a downtown Cairo branch late on Saturday after two staff members tested positive for COVID-19.

The branch in Talaat Harb street was shut on Wednesday, one day after the detection of two positive cases, chairman and CEO Tarek Fayed said in a statement, according to state news agency MENA.

All employees have been tested to ensure their safety, he said, adding that the facility has been sterilised for three consecutive days.

The bank has redirected its clients to the nearest branch in downtown Cairo.

Fayed said all internal and external meetings have since been held via conference calls to maintain social distancing, adding that the e-learning system has been used instead of the bank's in-house training centre.

Egypt has recorded 8,964 coronavirus cases and 514 fatalities since the first case of the flu-like virus was detected in the country in mid-February.