South Sudan Reports First COVID-19 Case

South Sudan has confirmed its first case of COVID-19.

The patient is a 29-year old woman who arrived in South Sudan from Netherlands via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 28 February 2020. She is being treated in isolation. 

According to Relief Web, the patient has been in South Sudan for five weeks and began working from home immediately after showing symptoms and voluntarily requested to be tested to for COVID-19. 

The Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) are leading an investigation compiling a full list of who came into contact with the patient. The individuals will be followed up for the mandatory 14 days, checked for symptoms and those who develop symptoms will be tested for COVID-19.

Prior to confirming its first COVID-19 case, South Sudan had already declared a lockdown with a ban on international flights.

Prior to South Sudan reporting its first case, the US government has donated USD8 million to South Sudan to help prevent the coronavirus pandemic from reaching the central African country.