Somalia’s COVID-19 cases rise to 2023 as 47 more test positive

[Deeq A.]

Somalia’s Health minister announced on Monday evening that the country’s number of coronavirus cases had risen to 2023.

In a press briefing, Dr Fawzia Abikar Nur said that over the past 24 hours, the central laboratory in Mogadishu had recorded 47 positive cases, 38 of the patients being male and 9 female.

The minister added one patient succumbed to the deadly virus, bringing the total number of fatalities to 79.

The minister also said 13 more people have recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 361.

The health minister added that the majority of the cases were recorded in the self-declared region of Somaliland which has 28, Banadir nine while Puntland and Jubaland have five cases each.

“I urge you to adhere to orders and advice given by State institutions,” the minister also said, noting that it was possible to contain the spread of the virus.

The federal government has recently provided facilities to help infected people in Mogadishu and delivered equipment and other supplies to some member states with a promise for the same for the rest.

The Horn of African nation has instituted measures to contain the possible spread of COVID19, including closing schools, banning large gatherings, and suspending international and domestic passenger flights to combat the spread of COVID-19 which has wreaked havoc across the world, affecting the global economy, killing over 370,000 people and infecting over 6 million worldwide.