April 5, 2020 (Nyamilepedia) — South Sudan government has confirmed the country’s first case of the coronavirus according to a statement by the First Vice President and deputy chairperson of the coronavirus Task-Force Dr. Riek Machar Teny.
“On behalf of the President and the Chairman of the High- Level Taskforce, I would like to inform the public that on Saturday 4th April 2020, the Public Health Laboratory tested and confirmed a case of COVID-19 in an individual,” Machar who was addressing a press conference at Juba Pyramid Hotel said.
“The suspect presented to the UN Clinic on 2nd April 2020 with fever, cough, headache and shortness of breath. The Ministry of Health’s Rapid Response Team (RRT) went to the clinic and collected samples the same day. The initial test came positive. A second run of the confirmatory test also returned positive.”
Machar said the patient is a 29-year-old female UN staff who arrived to the country from Netherlands through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in late February.
“The patient is a 29-year old female who arrived in the country from Netherlands via Addis Ababa on 28th February 2020. She has no history of underlying or pre-existing illness. She is currently in isolation and is in good health,” he said.
“The Ministry of Health (MOH) is leading a full outbreak investigation with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) including identifying and following up contacts and next steps possible.
“The Government of the Republic of South Sudan seizes this opportunity to reassure the public to remain calm. The High- Level Taskforce has put in place relevant public health measures over the past two weeks.
“Social distancing is the only way we can minimise the risk of contracting and transmitting the disease. The Government urges members of the public to strictly observe the rules of social distancing.”
