 May 22, 2020 (Nyamilepedia) – A senior South Sudan army general has died in the capital Juba after battling COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused directly by the novel coronavirus, sources at Bilpam told Nyamilepedia this afternoon.
One military source said Lt. Gen. Arou Maan Chot died this morning at Dr. John Garang Center for Infectious Disease after battling the virus for more than one week.
“Yes the reports are true. Gen. Arou Maan Chot has died this morning at the government hospital (Dr. John Garang Center for Infectious Disease),” the source said from Juba.
“He died of coronavirus. He contracted the virus about more than one week ago after coming into contact with someone he said didn’t recall even,” the military source said.
South Sudan has seen rise in coronavirus cases since President Salva Kiir Mayardit decided earlier this month to lift partial lockdown imposed in March by his government to curb the rapid spread of the diseases which has now killed half a million people around the world.
READ ALSO: COVID-19: South Sudan cases surpass 300 as 57 others test positive
Senior government officials including South Sudan’s First Vice President have been infected by the deadly virus.
Machar, his wife and defense minister, Angelina Teny, and the ministry of information Michael Makuei Lueth are the only senior government officials to announce publicly that they have contracted the virus.
READ ALSO: South Sudan’s Machar, wife test positive for COVID-19
South Sudan government announced yesterday that the number of COVID-19 cases have increased to 481 after 134 more people tested positive in addition to the initial 347.
Kiir said earlier this month during a visual meeting with fellow East African leaders that he may impose total lockdown if cases were to continue rising as they do.
However, the initial government response to the virus has been criticized after acting lately to discover that a foreign national working as a staffer for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) after having been living in the country for more than a month.
