COVID-19: Face masks in Sudan’s workplaces become mandatory

The Health Emergency Committee announced on Wednesday evening that all employees in public and private institutions in Sudan must wear masks and that these masks should be provided for free.

The new regulations also require people to adhere to social distancing guidelines set by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The announcement follows “an increase in the number of health conditions and deaths in Sudan due to Coronavirus,” according to the members of the meeting, chaired by the Minister of Health, Omar El Najeeb, in the presence of a member of the Sovereignty Council, Aisha Mousa.

Najeeb also said that there are no side effects for those who have received the AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19 in Sudan, after more than 20 countries paused vaccinations earlier this week. Yesterday, twelve European countries said they will resume vaccinations with the AstraZeneca vaccine after the European Medicines Agency said its initial investigation of possible side effects has concluded the vaccine is “safe and effective.”

Najeeb said that “the vaccine is safe and that any the side effects are minimal compared to the risk of contracting COVID-19,” confirming that the situation is under permanent evaluation by the Ministry of Health and the Health Emergencies Committee.

Regarding the provision of oxygen cylinders in hospitals, he explained that the committee told the Ministry of Energy to provide the required fuel to transport the oxygen cylinders to various states and that oxygen tanks are in operation in all hospitals.

The Ministry of Health in the state of El Gezira yesterday reported an increase of Coronavirus cases. The ministry called on people and institutions to take the necessary measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

Throughout the pandemic, there have been concerns about the number of unrecorded and undetected cases in Sudan. A report from the Imperial College London COVID-19 Response Team in collaboration with multiple partners, revealed on December 1 that an estimated two per cent of COVID-19 deaths were reported in Khartoum.