Sudan expects more coronavirus cases as it braces for second wave

Sudan could implement more restrictions to curb Covid-19 as the country braces for a second wave of the pandemic.

Acting Health Minister Osama Ahmed Abdul Rahim warned on Tuesday that there could be an increase in cases across the country.

Sudan has so far reported 15,830 confirmed positive cases and 1,193 deaths. However, the actual death toll from Covid-19 is believed to be higher but has not been confirmed due to limited testing of the novel coronavirus.

The Ministry of Health also announced that seven health workers died in the past week as a result of COVID-19. On Sunday, the Prime Minister’s office announced that a minister had tested positive for the virus.

Mr Rahim said that while the country was implementing various strategies to prevent spread of infections, the country was faced difficulty due to a shortage of funding.

“The most important thing in implementation of strategies, whether health strategies or general strategies facing very, very big challenges, is the funding,” Mr Rahim said.

“We in the Ministry of Health have an integrated plan to confront the second wave of the pandemic for three months and this plan costs 4 billion Sudanese pounds ($72.2 million).”

Sudanese authorities have postponed the reopening of schools for two weeks to ensure that health requirements are implemented before the start of the new school year, which was scheduled to begin on Sunday November 22.

Mr Rahim called for an immediate solution to the crisis of financing for the purchase of medicine. Sudan is suffering from a severe shortage of medicine, especially life-saving ones.