Somalia records 38 new COVID-19 cases, 1 Death

By: Hassan Jama, Horndiplmat contributor from Nairobi

 the number of infections in Somalia rose to 873 after the country’s minister of health Fawziya Abikar has confirmed 38 new cases in the past 24 hours.

Abikar said one patient succumbed to the deadly disease, bringing the total number of fatalities to 39.

Somalia also reported twelve recoveries (87 in total) in the same period, the highest number since the country recorded its first positive case in March.

The latest cases come amid concern about the sharp surge in the number of confirmed cases in Somalia due to the limited capacity to contain the spread of the virus because of the fragile healthcare system.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that if the virus transmission is not slowed down rapidly, the patient surge and increasing demand for health care will overwhelm the country’s fragile health system.

WHO said in its latest report on COVID-19 that Somalia will need to make difficult decisions to balance the overwhelming demands of responding to COVID-19 while maintaining essential health service delivery to prevent health systems from collapse.

This is a developing story, Please check back at the Horndiplomat for Updates.
© Horn Diplomat 2020