The Ministry of Health of the Syrian Interim Government announced the detection of the first positive case of Covid-19 virus in the liberated areas. Minister of Health Maram Al-Sheikh said that the patient is a 39-year-old doctor working at Bab Al-Hawa Hospital in Idlib province.
Al-Sheikh pointed out that the doctor showed symptoms of the coronavirus two days ago and tested positive for the virus on Thursday, adding that the patient was put in quarantine the moment he began to show symptoms.
In response, SIG took several measures, starting with completely isolating the hospital; denying access to its facilities, and conducting tests on those who came close to the patient, he added.
In a press release issued on Thursday, the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) called on everyone to abide by the recommendations of the Ministry of Health and medical authorities with regard to social distancing and safety measures and to stay away from meetings and gatherings.
The SOC pointed out that the Ministry of Health is closely following the suspected cases and will announce the results of the tests with utmost transparency.
It also called on international institutions and health organizations to step up support for the region to prevent an outbreak of the virus and ensure the delivery of the necessary aid. (Source: SOC’s Media Department)