Residents of an Egyptian village in the Nile Delta prevented on Saturday the burial of a physician who died from the from the novel coronavirus.
Police used tear gas to disperse villagers in Shubra el-Bahou as they blocked the road to the cemetery.
The group feared that the burial would spread contagion, officials said, according to The Associated Press.
The physician died at a quarantined hospital in the Suez Canal city of Ismailia and her body was being transferred to her husband's village for burial. The officials said police fired tear gas after the villagers halted the ambulance carrying the body.
There were no reports of any serious injuries.
Ahmed el-Sayed, a village resident, said the police intervened after security and health officials failed to persuade the villagers to open the road.
Egypt has reported 135 fatalities among around 1,800 confirmed cases.
