Lawmaker raises alarm, as hundreds escape quarantine center in Renk

At least over 5 hundred people who crossed the border from Sudan have escaped quarantine center in Renk – Upper Nile state, an MP representing Renk County has said.

A week ago, more than 1,000 South Sudanese living in critical condition at the border of Sudan-South Sudan were denied entry to South Sudan, this is according to the MP representing Renk County, Deng Goc.

However, the lawmaker stated that the authorities in Renk decided to allow the returnees to enter South Sudan and follow the preventative measures ordered by the authorities to be quarantined for 14 days.

The High-Level task force on coronavirus has announced on Thursday that South Sudanese entering the country illegally will be tested, quarantine for 14 days and taken to court.

This comes after reports of South Sudanese from the affected countries evading health checkpoints and disappear into communities.

The committee also has resolved to establish screening points at the major crossing border posts.

This comes as the number of people affected by Coronavirus is increasing in the neighboring countries.

According to the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization, South Sudan is coronavirus free.

However, the task force noted that with great concern reports of South Sudanese escaping from affected countries, evading the health checkpoints and blend into communities.

The MP has disclosed to Eye Radio on Friday that about 500 of the quarantined people at Renk secondary school escaped and vanished into residential areas in Renk.

He called for tougher action against those evading screening procedures.

“Even if they cooperated the situation will still not be easy. The only thing that could have helped people is their awareness of responsibility and come back to the quarantine area,” said Goc.

“If they come back and we found that one of them is infected with the disease then the virus definitely has reached the town.”