SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Sudan Tribune - South Darfur records 8 suspected cases of COVID-19 including UNAMID troops

23/3/2020: Sudan Tribune - South Darfur records 8 suspected cases of COVID-19 including UNAMID troops

Sudan Tribune reports that the South Darfur State Committee to combat the spread of coronavirus has registered eight suspected cases of the disease, including two Egyptian soldiers in the African Union-UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).

 In a report to the Committee, State Director-General of the Ministry of Health, Mohamed Idris, said that two Egyptian soldiers were placed in isolation, alongside a medical staff member and five other people who were in contact with them.

 South Darfur Governor Hashim Khaled declared a state of emergency and banned public gatherings and closed borders with South Sudan and the Central African Republic, although he rejected a proposal to close the Nyala market.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Radio Dabanga - 341 clear of coronavirus and discharged in Sudan

23/3/2020: Radio Dabanga - 341 clear of coronavirus and discharged in Sudan

 Radio Dabanga reports that the Sudanese Ministry of Health has discharged 341 people from coronavirus quarantines, with 47 remaining in isolation.

 In Khartoum, the Jabra Hospital (88 bed capacity) is equipped to receive coronavirus cases, with a dedicated quarantine building used to monitor contacts of confirmed cases and for monitoring recovered patients.

 However, the Forces for Freedom in Change (FFC) in South Kordofan warned of the fragility of the state during the coronavirus pandemic given the province’s open borders with South Sudan. The FFC called on federal health authorities “to go to the province and provide the necessary support.”

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Multiple sources - Sudan imposes 10-hour night-time curfew to curb coronavirus spread

23/3/2020: Multiple sources - Sudan imposes 10-hour night-time curfew to curb coronavirus spread

 To curb the spread of coronavirus, Sudan has imposed a nationwide curfew from 8pm to 6am. Public transport will also be curtailed, with Sudan halting all long-haul bus trips between cities and states. “All the state’s capabilities will be at the disposal of the committee to fight coronavirus,” Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of Sudan’s sovereign council.