Coronavirus cases keeps rising in Syrian government-held areas
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Covid-19-related deaths and infections increased dramatically in Syrian government-held areas and surpassed 500 infections within days.
Yesterday, Syrian Ministry of Health reported new 258 coronavirus infections and six deaths rising the total cases to 43,404 infections and 2,566 deaths.
“The reported toll is not real, the actual number is ten times the ones announced because the majority of Covid-19 patients quarantine at home and do not go to hospitals,” Nebough al-Awa, a member of the Counter-Coronavirus Advisory Team said.
The outbreak of the pandemic is likely to increase because people are obliged to crowd in public transportation, queue in front of bakeries and gas stations.
In the last period, the third wave of the pandemic peaked in Syria, particularly in the capital, Damascus and Latakia city, whose hospitals hit full capacity. Patients were shifted from Latakia hospital to Tartus and from Damascus hospitals to Rif Dimashq and Homs.
On the other hand, quarantined Covid-19 cases in private hospitals are almost few because the cost of treatment is too high. Wages of the ICUs is four million Syrian pounds per day (about $1,150), and decreases to one million and a half (about $430) in other wards, according to Damascus residents.
Similarly, treatment wages in hospitals operated by the Syria Arab Red Crescent (SARC) is more than one million and a half Syrian pounds, a nurse in al-Shami hospital told North Press.