COVID-19: ‘Spread of Delta variant in Sudan not confirmed’

According to the Epidemics Control General Administration of the federal Ministry of Health, the spread of the highly contagious COVID-19 Delta variant in Sudan has not been confirmed yet. Red Sea state is vaccinating people at a rate of 6,000 people per day.

Doctor Mohamed El Hafes Khidir, Director of the Epidemics Control Administration, presented his ministry’s report on the spread of COVID-19 between January 25-July 25 at the premises of the Sudan News Agency (SUNA) on Tuesday.

Though the COVID-19 Delta variant is rapidly spreading in the world, it’s existence in Sudan has not been confirmed yet, he said.

The states of Khartoum, El Gezira, Red Sea and River Nile are mostly affected. Khidir attributed the recent, rapid spread of COVID-19 in Port Sudan and some other places in Red Sea state to “the trade activities and continuous traffic” in the region.

The health official called on all Sudanese to stay committed to the health precautionary measures in order to curb the renewed corona virus outbreak.

The Director of the federal Health Ministry’s Immunisation Department, Doctor Ismail Suleiman El Sheikh, announced on Tuesday that the Red Sea state has received 30,000 COVID-19 vaccination doses. The vaccination campaign there continues at a rate of 6,000 people per day.

Earlier this week, Radio Dabanga reported a surge of coronavirus cases in the east Sudanese state, where the main sea ports are located. The increase was noted since mid-June with 289 cases recorded in Red Sea state in three weeks.

Doctors in the area have called for a closure of Red Sea state’s national and international borders, and a three-week lockdown.