Covid-19 and GERD continue to dominate the airwaves: Al Hayah Al Youm’s Lobna Assal reported on the first death from the covid-19 virus in Egypt. She noted that he was a 60-year-old German citizen who had flu-like symptoms when he arrived in Luxor and went to the Hurghada General Hospital on Friday 6 March. His condition worsened and he suffered a loss of consciousness before dying yesterday (watch, runtime: 1:58). Al Kahera Alaan’s Lamees El Hadidi (watch, runtime: 1:48), Masaa DMC’s Eman El Hosary (watch, runtime: 2:07), and Min Masr’s Reham Ibrahim (watch, runtime: 1:26) all covered the news.

Covid-19 cases in Egypt rises to 55: El Hekaya's Amr Adib spoke by phone with Health Ministry media spokesman Khaled Megahed who said that Egypt’s total number of cases testing positive for covid-19 had climbed to 55. Megahed said the increase was of people who had come into contact with people previously reported to have contracted the virus in Egypt (watch, runtime: 1:26), (watch, runtime: 2:22). El Hadidi also had the story (watch, runtime: 5:58).

Facilitating covid-19 testing for travellers: Assal reviewed steps the Madbouly government has taken to make it easier for would-be travelers to get PCR tests at approved government labs. They include setting up a website — www.clab.mohp.gov.eg — to book tests for those with valid travel tickets (watch, runtime: 4:54). El Hadidi also covered the story (watch, runtime: 2:24).

Dispute over GERD persists: Adib and El Hosary both criticized Sudan’s statement on the ongoing Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam crisis, saying that after nine years of negotiations they had unfairly sided with Ethiopia (watch, runtime: 2:29), and here (watch, runtime: 1:22). Assal spoke by phone with Cairo University Professor of Political Science Moataz Bllah Abd El Fattah who said that Ethiopia is “waging a war of words” with Egypt. He said that Ethiopia is dragging the region into conflict with its “intransigence,'' and could find itself “besieged regionally and globally” and unable to secure any foreign investments (watch, runtime: 6:34).

Former irrigation minister criticizes Sudan: El Hadidi phoned former Irrigation Minister Mohamed Nasr Allam who accused Sudan of siding with Ethiopia in the dispute, and said that the Egyptian government should look to its Arab neighbours and the UN Security Council to find a way to solve the crisis (watch, runtime: 14:50).