Health Minister calls for better precautions as COVID-19 cases rise in Khartoum, Port Sudan

Minister of Health, Dr Omar El Najeeb, has announced increases in rates of COVID-19 infection in Khartoum and Red Sea states, and urged adherence to health precautions. He also confirmed cases of hepatitis among refugees in El Gedaref.

At a press conference held at the official Sudan News Agency (SUNA) on Monday, El Najeeb, who is also a member of the Higher Committee for Health Emergencies, pointed out in that the ministry has called on the Governor of Khartoum State to take more health precautions, especially at shopping centres, restaurants, groceries, and places where large numbers of people could gather.

The minister also urged the public to adhere to health requirements to confront the pandemic, indicating that the committee is in the process of imposing health measures by law during Eid El Adha holiday that began on Sunday, and will last until Thursday., especially at Kafori and East Khartoum areas.

El Najeeb denied that the Delta (Indian) strain of the virus has reached Port Sudan, capital of the Red Sea state. He attributed the rise in infections to “lack of commitment to health precautions in the city,” referring to the measures taken by the governor of the state to protect the public.

He confirmed that cases of hepatitis have been reported at refugee camps in El Gedaref state, indicating that the ministry has sent medical teams to asses and contain the situation.

‘Misinformation’

As reported by Radio Dabanga yesterday, Member of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council and alternate chair of the Supreme Committee for Health Emergencies, Prof Siddig Tawir, says that there has been “deliberate misinformation spread by some circles,” which he did not name, from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and urged media and reporters to continue the struggle against misleading rumours about COVID vaccines.

Addressing the inaugural session of the Workshop on the Role of Media and Multimedia in Combating Misinformation and Rumours concerning COVID-19 a in Khartoum last week, Tawir pointed out that “the culture of Sudanese communities often contradicts the state’s efforts to curb the spread of the virus. He called for research studies to be made in this regard in anticipation of the continuation of the pandemic., and the emergence of new variants.