JUBA — South Sudan has suspended all passenger internal flights from Juba to the states, from states to Juba and from states to states following the latest development involving the COVID-19 outbreak.
The decision was announced by the country’s First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar.
Dr. Machar, who is also the deputy chairperson of the COVID-19 taskforce, old local media that passenger public transport systems, both public and private, to and from Juba and from one state to another have been suspended effective.
“The presidency reaffirms the exemptions decided previously by the High-Level Taskforce. The High-Level Taskforce shall decide any new exemptions on case by case basis,” he said.
Dr. Machar said South Sudan administration resolved to grant permission to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) aircraft DASH-8-402 for cargo transportation flight from Nairobi to Juba on Friday, April 17.
“There shall be four security personnel in addition to five crew members on board,” he explained.
Machar stated that the High-Level Taskforce on Coronavirus (COVID-19) remains seized of the situation in the country.
South Sudan has recorded four cases of COVID-19 so far with zero recoveries and death.
Meanwhile, Ezo County in Western Equatoria State is at risk of a health crisis due to lack of medical equipment to test for the novel coronavirus pandemic at its borders, a local official said.
Ezo borders the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Central African Republic.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday, Thomas Frederick Dumo, the county Executive Director said it is difficult to know who suffers from the new coronavirus in the absence of testing kits on the ground.
He urged the national government to supply COVID-19 testing kits.
