More than 6,500 Covid-19 cases recorded in Sudan

Sudan’s Ministry of Health reported 155 new coronavirus patients in the country on Monday, including 12 deaths. El Gezira has closed the entire state. Doctors in eastern Sudan’s Red Sea state fear a collapse of the state's health system.

As of June 8, the total number of cases since the beginning of the outbreak of Covid-19 in the country reached 6,582, including 389 deaths. More than 2,200 patients recovered.

The majority of the cases, 5,098, was registered in Khartoum. El Gezira state comes second, with 554 cases recorded. The numbers reported in the rest of the 18 states vary between 184 (El Gedaref) and four cases (Central Darfur).

On Wednesday, the government of El Gezira decided to quarantine the entire state. All borders were closed, and traffic permits were withdrawn in an attempt to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Doctor Ehab Abdallah, director general of the Ministry of Health in El Gezira warned that the number of coronavirus patients exceeds the capacity of the state’s health system.

He called for the formation of community groups to support his ministry, which faces a shortage of health personnel and ambulances.

Maj Gen Ibrahim Ahmed Shumein, Director of the El Gezira state police, reported that more than 370 violators of the anti-coronavirus measures, including three singers, will be brought to justice. About 700 vehicles have been confiscated as their owners ignored the curfew at night.

Collapse

The Red Sea state Doctors' Committee has warned for a complete collapse in the state's health system, due to the severe shortage of medical staff working in the isolation centres and rapid response teams.

In a statement on Wednesday, the medics welcomed the new isolation centre set-up in the Psychiatric Hospital in Port Sudan. They praised the health authorities endeavour to create more quarantine facilities “amid the steady increase in the number of cases witnessed in the state”.

The committee called on all doctors in the state “stand hand in hand to support the health situation and help it move to safety”.

The number of coronavirus cases in Red Sea state almost doubled this weekend. On June 6, the total of Covid-19 cases was 28. Two days later, the authorities in Port Sudan reported a total of 55 patients.

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