The ministry of health has confirmed an additional 16 COVID-19 pandemic cases out of 419 samples. The cases now raise the total number of cases in South Sudan to 3, 843-an upward increment of 3.8 per cent from 3, 742 in the previous week.

Spokesperson of the Ministry of Health Dr. Loi Thoi said in a Sunday COVID-19 brief that 251 contacts are still being traced.  This raises concern over potential surge in new cases if the public does not adhere to the recommended preventive measures by the ministry of health and World Health Organization.

“As a country we are seeing increase in positive cases [of COVID-19] and this is a clear message that COVID-19 is here. And with that we need to be serious in terms of implementing and adhering to the preventive measures against COVID-19,” Dr. Loi Thoi, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Health said.

He added, “It is critical that all of us adhere to those preventive measures otherwise [we] maybe in for serious increase of COVID-19 in the country with the current [situation] that we are seeing in our public health lab, and the Made Blue where travelers are testing for COVID-19.”

South Sudan registered its first coronavirus case on April 5, 2020, and since then the country’s cumulative death toll from the virus remains at 64 in the past 24 hours as of Sunday. There are 3, 579 recoveries, a 93.1 per cent of the total confirmed positive cases.

Last year, the ministry of health and health partners released a report indicating existing poor behaviour change among citizens despite adequate knowledge of and COVID-19 preventive measures.

Director General for Preventive Health Service Dr. John Rumunu said the country was yet to confirm case of the new COVID-19 variant already registered in South Africa and other parts of the world.