Schools closed in Sudan’s Red Sea state amid third COVID-19 wave

All primary and secondary schools in the localities of Port Sudan, Suakin, and Sinkat in the Red Sea state will be closed from today onwards for a week as part of precautionary measures to reduce COVID-19 infections, the Red Sea state wali (governor) Abdallah Shangarai decided yesterday.

The decision also called for increased social distancing in spaces such as mosques and churches, shortening the Friday sermon, and stressing the importance of precautionary health measures, such as masks.

Last week, authorities announced that face masks, disinfection, and social distancing are now mandatory in Sudan’s state institutions, schools, public transport, and all gathering places subject to overcrowding.

Two days ago, Sudanese Minister of Health Omar El Najeeb said that he expects “a steady increase in COVID-19 infections and deaths during the next three months”. At the same press conference in Khartoum, Doctor Montasir Osman, Deputy Director of Health Emergencies Committee, said that the total number of recorded COVID-19 infections rose to 30,211 so far while 2,079 patients died.

Member of the Sovereignty Council and Chairman of the Committee for Health Emergencies, Siddig Tawir, described the health situation as “alarming for everyone”. He explained that “there has been a significant number of deaths, and COVID-19 patients are filling-up available hospital beds”.

Meanwhile, Sudan has started its vaccination campaign. Sudan was the first country in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to receive vaccines via the COVAX Facility, a coalition co-led by the World Health Organization (WHO). 

More than a million doses of the vaccine have been provided by China and the World Health Organisation (WHO). Over 5,000 people have been vaccinated so far.