Somalia’s COVID-19 cases rise to 2,334 after 45 test positive

[Deeq A.]

Somali health ministry on Sunday confirmed 45 new cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the total tally of infections in the country to 2,334.

Fawziya Abikar, Somalia’s health minister said one patient succumbed to the disease in the last 24 hours, raising the total number of deaths to 83.

Ten more people recovered from the deadly respiratory disease, raising the total number of recoveries to 441. Added the minister.

The minister said 35 of the latest cases are male while 10 others are female persons amid concern from the UN that the cases are largely due to community transmission.

Mogadishu, the country’s capital has 25 confirmed cases as of Sunday, 17 cases in Somaliland, 2 in Puntland and 1 in Southwest state.

So far Somalia remains to have the highest death toll across East African region & Horn of Africa nation with 83 deaths as of Sunday. 441 cases have also been recorded as recovered.

With many cases are going untested and undetected, local and international humanitarian agencies have warned that Somalia faces another desperate situation amid spiral of covid-19 cases.

Somalia has faced decades of violence and cycles of drought and floods, leaving its health care system ill equipped to respond to this outbreak.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has been preparing for the spread of coronavirus by training health care staff to screen patients for symptoms and safely isolate potential cases.