Syria not out of danger, death toll may surge – Assad

North-Press Agency

On Monday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that the small number of deaths does not mean that Syria is out of danger, and that the modest number of deaths do not exclude the possibility of a surge in a short period, noting that life in the country will gradually return to normal.

Al-Assad's speech came during a meeting with the "governmental team concerned with confronting the coronavirus pandemic.” It was broadcast on the Telegram account of the Presidency of the Republic.

The Syrian President said, "The easing of preventive measures and the gradual return to life was the result of the accumulation of issues that have become difficult to address, as they put citizens between two conditions: hunger and poverty versus disease."

He added: "The results of hunger are known, but the results of the disease are unknown, as the majority of patients recover; there are measures to prevent disease, but there are no measures to prevent hunger."

Al-Assad added that: "Nine years of war is equivalent to only a few of the past weeks," and he pointed to the possibility of implementing tougher measures if the situation gets worse.

"It is necessary to continue raising awareness in order for every citizen to bear responsibility with the state, to overcome this crisis," the Syrian president said.