Coronavirus infections to spike in NE Syria in late August – Autonomous Administration

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The co-chair of the Health Board of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, Dr. Jiwan Mostafa, expects that coronavirus infections will spike in the regions of northeastern Syria late August, adding that the lockdown aims to delay this. 

“The health situation is not good as a result of massive spread of the virus and the registration of a large number of infections,” Mostafa said.

Although 66 cases were registered, as the Autonomous Administration announced, Mostafa said that the area had not reached the peak yet, expecting that the number of the infections will reach its climax by the end of August, or what he described as an “explosion." 

“We cannot prevent the outbreak of the virus, but we try to delay it via imposing the lockdown.” 

“The curfew was imposed in order to understand the nature of the virus, as well as to count the current infections,” he added.

He noted that they are currently working on studying the nature of the virus in the area in terms of the degree of strength and how to deal with it. 

On Friday morning, the Autonomous Administration announced the registration of a second death from coronavirus in Shahba region, northern countryside of Aleppo, hours after the announcement of the registration of 12 new infections, bringing the toll to 66 cases of the virus in the regions of North and East Syria. 

Reporting by Hoshang Hassan