COVID-19 in Sudan: State of Emergency as cases rise in North Kordofan

The Health Emergency Committee in North Kordofan has declared a State of Health Emergency in response to the sharp rise in COVID-19 infections during April. Northern State has also reported dozens of new cases. In Sennar, medics cancelled their strike after the authorities agreed to offer them more protection on the work floor.

At a meeting on Saturday, the decision regarding North Kordofan by the Health Emergency Committee includes banning of all social, political, and tribal gatherings in governmental and private institutions, in addition to banning collective breaking of the fast of Ramadan. Prayers in mosques are to be reduced to a maximum of 15 minutes, with the obligation to wear face masks and use hand sanitisers.

The committee chaired by Governor Khaled Mustafa decided to limit the opening of universities in coordination with the state health emergency committee, in addition to reducing government employment by 50 per cent until further notice.

The Ministry of Health in River Nile state announced the death of two cases and 15 new coronavirus cases between Thursday and Saturday. The cases were recorded in Atbara, Ed Damer, and Berber localities.

In Northern State, 34 new cases of coronavirus were registered between April 15 and May 1. The state Health Ministry said in its epidemiological report that the number of cases treated at home reached 50 and those in the isolation centres in Dongola and Halfa seven. The cases spread in all localities except Halfa.

The Sennar Hospitals Strike Committee announced that the strike on emergency cases will be lifted in the emergency departments on Saturday and in private hospitals on Sunday.

The decision to lift the partial strike came after the authorities in the state fulfilled part of their demands, including the implementation of measures to protect and secure Sennar Teaching Hospital by police, to be assisted by a force from the army as soon as work is resumed in the hospital.