Singer Abu Araki and TV Presenter Mohammed Osman Test Positive for COVID-19

On Sunday, 3 May 2020, Sudanese musical giant Abu Araki El-Bakhiet announced that he has tested positive for COVID-19, after coming in contact with his daughter, Dr Samaher, who recently tested positive as well.

The 60-year-old and his daughter are in stable condition. They are both currently in quarantine at their home in Sudan. On behalf of El-Bakhiet, his close friend and poet Abdelwahab Halawi said on Facebook, ‘Abu Araki looked patient and defiant. He is in quarantine at his home. He asked me to send a message of reassurance to people, given that there is no barrier between him and them in all situations. In his message, Abu Araki advised people to be extra cautious to ensure their safety. The people and the whole world will cross, God willing, to safety.’

The news has since gone viral on social media. His daughter, who works in a hospital in Khartoum, tested positive for COVID-19 last week and is in quarantine along with her father. She has reportedly been recovering well.

The news of El-Bakhiet catching the virus comes just two days after TV presenter Mohammed Osman Elshaikh announced that he has been infected with the virus. On Saturday, 2 May, he wrote a positive post on his Facebook account, saying he tested positive for COVID-19 but he is well.

Alshaikh is currently in quarantine at his home in Sudan. He has been active on Facebook, continuously updating his friends on Facebook that he is in stable condition and will continue to quarantine at home. He began to show symptoms 10 days ago and will be repeating the test in five days to see if he will be cleared of the virus. He shared pictures of health authorities sterilising his home.

Alshaikh also announced that one of his colleagues and his cousin have tested positive for COVID-19 in Sudan. It is unclear whether they were in contact with each other. In addition, he wished Abu Araki a speedy recovery.

There are currently 592 COVID-19 cases in Sudan and 41 deaths. Sudan’s capital Khartoum is currently on a three-week lockdown, which began on 18 April 2020. It allows people to move from 8 am to 1 pm to get their daily supplies. However, majority of the private and public sectors are closed for three weeks with the exception of those in the healthcare, and food and beverage sectors. On Friday, 24 April 2020, Sudan has extended the lockdown to other states including South Darfur, North Darfur, El Gadarif and Red Sea.