Civil initiative to sterilize public utilities in al-Wusta neighborhood in Qamishli in northeastern Syria.

Qamishli – North-Press Agency
Charbel Henno – Reem Chamoun

The Syriac Security Office (Sutoro), in cooperation with the Syriac Suriya al-Um Association, started a sterilization campaign for public facilities in al-Wusta neighborhood in the city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria on Sunday as part of a series of measures taken to prevent coronavirus.

General secretariat member of Suriya al-Um Youth Caucus, George Milcon, said to North-Press that their initiative started on Sunday, as most people in the neighborhood are inside their houses, adding: “We started spraying high-quality sterilizers in the public streets in the neighborhood and electricity boxes, which are exposed to constant hand-touching.”

He added that the initiative includes take-out restaurants, nursing homes, bakeries, shops and food selling centers in the neighborhood. They will also “publish educational brochures to prevent coronavirus.”

In a previous statement to North Press, Father Saliba Abdullah, priest of Virgin Mary Church for the Syriac Orthodox in Qamishli city, said that the church is committed to the decisions of the Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria, which mandate the prevention of all gatherings and social interaction to prevent a coronavirus outbreak.  

It is reported that the Parish of al-Jazira and Euphrates for the Syriac Orthodox in Qamishli issued several decisions last week to prevent coronavirus, such as suspending all service and public prayers, including masses, in all Syriac churches, in addition to suspending all activities and meetings related to the church.