Coronavirus compounds Syrian crisis in Idlib
Amid lack of international aid and a fragile health system, officials and activists are concerned about the rapid spread of the coronavirus in northwest Syria.
Health Minister of the Syrian opposition-led interim government Maram al-Sheikh announced July 9 the first coronavirus case in northern Syria.
Sheikh said in a tweet, “Today, we regret to announce the first coronavirus case contracted by a health worker in one of Idlib’s hospitals. The hospital and its living quarters have been closed, and those who had been in contact with the patient have been swabbed and isolated, and the crisis cell is to hold an emergency meeting to activate its contingency plan.”
Consequently, the Early Warning Alert and Response Network (EWARN) started increased coronavirus testing in areas held by the Syrian opposition on a daily basis.
In this regard, the Response Coordination Group in Syria issued a warning July 15 in the wake of an increase in the number of cases in Idlib and the northern countryside of Aleppo.
