Monday, March 16, 2020

Sudan closes schools & unis over coronavirus fears - Quarantines nationals returning from Egypt in camps

Photo: Coronavirus disease (Covid 19)- Photo courtesy of US Department of State

Sudan to quarantine its nationals returning from Egypt in camps
Report from Egypt Today.com
By Staff
Dated Sunday 15 March 2020

CAIRO - 15 March 2020: The Sudanese Cabinet announced that it would bring back all Sudanese nationals stranded in border crossings with Egypt. 

The Cabinet added that all evacuated nationals will be isolated in a temporary shelter camp after bringing them back through Arqin crossing with Egypt. 

Two days ago, the Sudanese government closed land crossings with Egypt and suspended entry visas for foreigners from a number of countries, namely South Korea, China, Italy, Iran, Spain, Japan and Egypt. 

The Sudanese Ministry of Health announced Saturday the death of the only reported case. He was a 50-year-old Sudanese citizen who had visited the United Arab Emirates. 

Coronavirus has forced many countries to suspend their flights around the globe after the infected cases reached 157,483 people and 5,845 deaths were reported to date. On March 10, 2020, the virus was announced a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. 

“WHO is deeply concerned by the alarming levels of the coronavirus spread, severity & inaction, & expects to see the number of cases, deaths & affected countries climb even higher. Therefore, we made the assessment that COVID19 can be characterized as a pandemic,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesusin in a press conference. 

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RELATED REPORTS

Sudan closes schools for one month to prevent coronavirus spread
Report from Global Times.cn
By Xinhua 
Dated Sunday 15 March 2020 14:09:03
Photo: Sudanese people are seen wearing face masks in Khartoum, Sudan, on March 14, 2020. Sudan's Health Ministry on Friday announced the death of a Sudanese citizen infected with COVID-19. (Photo by Mohamed Khidir/Xinhua)

Sudan's Council of Ministers on Saturday decided to close universities and schools for one month and ban public gatherings to prevent coronavirus spread, according to a council statement. 

The council also decided to close the kindergartens and religious schools for one month, said Faisal Mohamed Saleh, Sudan's information minister and government spokesman, was quoted as saying in the statement. 
Photo: Sudanese people are seen wearing face masks in Khartoum, Sudan, on March 14, 2020. Sudan's Health Ministry on Friday announced the death of a Sudanese citizen infected with COVID-19. (Photo by Mohamed Khidir/Xinhua)

It has also been decided to postpone the basic school certificate examinations in all states, the statement added. 

Meanwhile, the council decided to evacuate the Sudanese citizens trapped at the border crossings with Egypt through the Arqin crossing, establish a temporary accommodation camp and conduct medical examination there. 

On Friday, the Sudanese health ministry announced the first death from coronavirus in the country. 
Photo: A Sudanese man is seen wearing a face mask in Khartoum, Sudan, on March 14, 2020. Sudan's Health Ministry on Friday announced the death of a Sudanese citizen infected with COVID-19. (Photo by Mohamed Khidir/Xinhua)

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Sudan closes schools and universities over coronavirus fears
Report from english.alarabiya.net
By Reuters, Khartoum
Dated Sunday, 15 March 2020
Last Update: Sunday, 15 March 2020 KSA 01:27 - GMT 22:27

Sudan has ordered the closure of schools and universities for one month from Saturday to stop the spread of coronavirus, a statement from the prime minister’s office said.

The statement said all public gatherings, such as weddings and social events, will also be banned.

On Friday, Sudan announced its first case of the novel coronavirus following the death of a 50-year-old man the night before.

The Sudanese citizen had recently been in the UAE, the health ministry said in a statement, without providing further details.

For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.

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Coronavirus measures: Sudan’s Council of Ministers issues directions
Report from and by Radio Dabanga.org
Dated Sunday 15 March 2020 

(KHARTOUM) - Sudan’s mini Council of Ministers has issued a set of directions following an emergency meeting held in Khartoum yesterday to discuss the recommendations of the Supreme Coordination Committee for combating the coronavirus (Covid-19) epidemic. Their directions include enforced quarantine of those who have been in contact with Covid-19, as well as the closure of all schools, universities, and religious institutes for a month.

The ministers have directed Sudan’s security authorities to support the Ministry of Health to implement quarantine procedures in the isolation and quartering centres to isolate and examine “those who have been in contact with the virus and who refuse to submit to quarantine procedures”.

Military hospitals throughout the country have been directed to serve as centres for shelter and to provide treatment services.

All kindergartens, schools, Koran schools (khalawi), and religious institutes at all levels are to be closed for a month. All festivals, camps, ad remedial classes are cancelled.

The ministers direct that the basic exams in those states where the exams have not yet been held should be postponed until “a date to be determined later”.

An exception is the Sudanese Certificate (secondary school) exam, which the ministers say will occur on time “unless another decision is issued”.

All universities, colleges, as well as government, private, and foreign higher institutes will also be closed for a month.

Additional health measures

The ministers direct that additional health measures and controls should be implemented in prisons and reformatory centres, while ministries, government, and private companies should “take measures to reduce crowds in the workplace”.

Public gatherings such as weddings, condolences, and other public events are suspended, while the ministers ordered “tightening control over public markets, the control over prices of food supplies, and medical and non-medical supplies”.

Sudanese nationals stranded at Egyptian border crossings – which have been on lockdown since Thursday – will be evacuated through the Argeen crossing, the establishment of a temporary shelter camp, and conduction of medical examination by an integrated medical team.

PM Hamdok

On Friday, Sudan’s Prime Minister, Abdallah Hamdok called on the Sudanese public to be vigilant when dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic which spread rapidly, across the world.

In a statement via social media, Hamdok said: “We must be careful because the epidemic is spreading rapidly. We urge all citizens to follow the health directives announced by the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization to protect ourselves and our families.”

The PM urged people to wash their hands regularly and to avoid gatherings, “which will be useful during this critical stage”.

He underlined that all the concerned authorities in Sudan are ready to implement the comprehensive plan to confront the coronavirus outbreak.

Border lockdown

As reported by Radio Dabanga on Friday, Sudan has suspended issuing visas to citizens of countries marked as major Covid-19 hotspots by the World Health Organization (WHO), and advised Sudanese against travelling to those countries unless in the case of force majeure. Flights to those countries have been suspended and the four crossing points between Sudan and Egypt will be closed ‘until further notice’.

The official Sudan News Agency (SUNA) reports that on Thursday, Minister for Cabinet Affairs, Omar Manis issued a decision suspending issuing visas to citizens of Korea, China, Italy, Iran, France, Spain, Japan, and Egypt – countries listed by the WHO as being majorly affected.

Also on Thursday, the Sudan’s Civil Aviation Authority shut-down all direct flights from Egypt to El Fasher, Nyala, and El Geneina in Darfur by the Unamid peacekeeping mission.

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Sudan shuts schools and universities over coronavirus
Report from and by Sudan Tribune.com
Dated Sunday 15 March 2020 - Excerpt:
(KHARTOUM) - Sudan on Saturday has ordered the closure of schools and universities for a month and restricted mass gatherings to slow the spread of the coronavirus. 
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Japan confirms first case of person re-infected with coronavirus
Report from and by The Hill.com
Dated 27 February 2020 - Excerpts:
Officials in Osaka say a tour bus guide tested positive for COVID-19 for a second time. 
There have been a number of cases of reinfection in China.  
As much remains unknown about the virus, cases of reinfection have health experts worried that the illness could remain dormant after an apparent recovery. 
“Once you have the infection, it could remain dormant with minimal symptoms,” Philip Tierno Jr., professor of microbiology and pathology at New York University, told Reuters. 
“And then you can get an exacerbation if it finds its way into the lungs,” he said.  
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Can you get coronavirus twice?
Report from and by The Hill.com
Dated Friday 13 March 2020 - Excerpt:
“If you get an infection, your immune system is revved up against that virus,” Keiji Fukuda, director of Hong Kong University’s School of Public Health, told the Los Angeles Times. “To get reinfected again when you’re in that situation would be quite unusual unless your immune system was not functioning right.” 
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