The number of coronavirus cases recorded by the medical team has been increasing all over Syria since the beginning of March. About 16,000 cases were recorded in Damascus in areas under regime control, including 1,094 deaths. The Autonomous Administration (northeast of the country) recorded about 8,900 cases, including 346 deaths. Additionally, 21,234 positive cases and 673 deaths were recorded in the opposition areas (northwest of the country) by the medical and response team.
In a press statement last Sunday, Tawfiq Hassaba, Director of Emergency and Relief at the Ministry of Health in the regime’s government, revealed that the regime areas are at a critical stage due to the return of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, announcing that the ministry has automatically resorted to the emergency plan, saying, “we will not overcome this phase except by breaking the cycle of infections and wearing a mask. The Ministry of Health has been facing several problems in securing beds in the intensive care unit.”
On Tuesday, the Health Authority of the Autonomous Administration recorded five deaths, in addition to 45 new cases in its areas of influence. Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper quoted Dr. Joan Mustafa, the Joint Head of the Health Authority, who said, “we have noticed an increase in the number of cases and deaths due to the coronavirus, and we urge people to adhere to the preventive measures. We do not rule out returning to lockdown mode in the coming days.” He stressed “the need to adhere to preventive measures, wear masks, and practice social distancing,” adding, “the Crisis Cell is discussing taking the necessary measures, especially during the month of March, which witnesses many activities and events.”
The Humanitarian Response Team declared the camps in northern Syria disaster areas, after the rains and floods inundated more than 30 tents from the camps for the displaced in northwestern Syria and demanded the activation of an urgent emergency plan to save the displaced.
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Syria Response Coordinator Team Leader, Muhammad Hallaj, said that dozens of tents were severely damaged as a result of heavy rains, which coincided with high wind in various areas of the Idleb and Aleppo governorates. Thirty camps in the northern countryside of Idleb and the countryside of Aleppo were disproportionately damaged. Damages ranged from the collapse of some tents to the uprooting of others, in addition to damage to the internal roads in the camps.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
