March 24, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese government has announced a third confirmed case of coronavirus in Khartoum.

In a press briefing after a cabinet meeting, the Minister of Culture and Information and government spokesman, Faisal Mohamed Saleh, said health authorities found a new case of coronavirus.

The patient was exposed to the COVID-19 while travelling in an Arab country from where he returned on 21 March.

Saleh pointed out that the patient is in isolation. Also, he added that people who were in contact with him have been also placed at a health centre.

The minister praised the family of the patient for notifying health authorities about the case, saying they did a positive to prevent the spread of the respiratory disease in Sudan.

He added that the Arab country from which he came has been informed within the framework of the exchange of health information on Coronavirus.

The first patient of COVID-19 was a Sudanese who contracted the disease in the United Arab Emirates.

The official spokesman confirmed that there are three Sudanese infected with Coronavirus outside Sudan, two of them in the United Arab Emirates and outside Saudi Arabia.

According to Saleh, the Health Minister Arkam Eltom informed the cabinet that they had received on Monday protective and medical equipment donated to Sudan by Chinese billionaire and Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma to help it fight the Coronavirus.

The medical equipment which includes 20,000 testing kits, 100,000 masks and 1,000 protective suits will be distributed to the different states but the government will prioritize Khartoum and the other states with passing points with the neighbouring countries.

On 23 March the government declared a nationwide curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. starting today, 24 March to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Also, all travel between states is banned with the exception for humanitarian, commercial and technical shipments as of 26 March.

(ST)