Sudan imposes full lockdown in Khartoum to control coronavirus spread
April 13, 2020 (KHARTOUM) – Khartoum, the most populated state in Sudan, will go into full lockdown on next Saturday after the registration of 10 confirmed cases of coronavirus on Monday.
The federal health ministry proposed the measure two weeks ago, fearing the spread of respiratory disease but the prime minister preferred at the time delaying the radical measure.
However, the ten new cases announced on Monday forced the government to review its position. One of the ten patients came from abroad while the remaining cases are infected by local transmission.
“The number of coronavirus cases rose to 29 cases as of Sunday 12 April. One of the 10 new confirmed cases, a foreigner, died in a hospital in Khartoum, said the federal health minister Akram Eltom on Monday.
Eltom said one of the 10 cases is from Abu Hamad area of Nile River state while the nine other patients are from Khartoum.
Until now, four patients died after being infected by COVID-19.
The minister spoke to the media after a meeting of the Health Emergency Committee attended by the government spokesman Faisal Mohamed Saleh who announced the imposition of the complete lockdown in Khartoum as of Saturday 18 April.
Saleh said the lockdown will last for three weeks adding that the employees are granted a leave of absence with pay, adding that only those who work in the vital services are allowed to work during this period.
The committee gave the other states a discretionary power to decide whether to impose a full lockdown or not according to the spread of the pandemic.
The government is expected to announce financial support to poor families that will be distributed by neighbourhood committees.
(ST)