TEL TAMR, Syria (North Press) – On Tuesday, the streets and markets of the town of Tel Tamr, north of Hasakah, witnessed an almost complete absence of commitment to the preventative measures and social distancing before the partial lockdown took effect in the town.
On Saturday, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) issued a decision to impose a complete and partial lockdown against coronavirus pandemic in its areas, after the increase in the infected cases.
The complete lockdown started in the cities of Raqqa, Qamishli, and Hasakah on Tuesday 6/4/2021 and will last a week.
Meanwhile the complete lockdown coincides with a partial one in other areas of northeast Syria from 4:00 PM to 6:00 AM.
No commitment
Officials in the Health Committee in the town of Tel Tamr, with a population of about 20,000 and which recorded two cases of the virus on Monday, predict the spread of the epidemic if the necessary preventative measures are not taken.
On Monday the latest total toll of infections in Syria’s northeast areas came up to 10,813 infections, including 396 deaths and 1,334 recoveries.
Samer Khalil, a resident of the town, while touring the market, told North Press, “We are afraid of the new wave of coronavirus.
“People didn’t take the virus seriously. We have many concerns. Many people died from the virus,” Kalil added.
“We noticed an increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the city, but the people didn’t abide by the decisions, regarding the adherence to preventative measures and social distancing,” she said.
Tel Tamr is one of the towns that recorded low infected cases, compared to the main cities in northeastern Syria, such as Qamishli, Hasakah, and Raqqa.
No vaccine till now
From his clinic in the center of the town of Tel Tamr, Walid Abdullah, a radiologist, speaks with a number of patients.
“If we don’t cooperate all together, we won’t be able to stop the virus spreading,” Abdullah added.
“The situation is very serious. Adherence to preventative measures is our only weapon in fighting the virus. Until now there is no vaccine, and the vaccine has not yet been secured in our regions,” he said.
Recently, 126 local organizations working in civil society called on the World Health Organization to coordinate with civil society organizations or local authorities to ensure that the coronavirus vaccine reaches civilians in northeastern Syria.
The organizations feared that the vaccine would turn into a political card in the hands of the Syrian regime.
Recently, the World Health Organization of the United Nations announced that the first batch of coronavirus vaccines from COVAX global platform, will arrive in Syria within weeks.
Akjemal Majtimova, the representative of World Health in Syria, indicated that 336,000 doses will also be delivered to the northwestern areas under the control of the Syrian opposition, through cross-border partners from the Turkish state of Gaziantep crossing (Jarabulus crossing).
Another 90,000 vaccines will reach the areas of northeastern Syria held by the Autonomous Administration, with mobile teams to reach the camps where tens of thousands of displaced families live, according to the agency.
But the Health Board in Jazira region, in northeastern Syria, stressed that no batch of COVID-19 vaccine had arrived.
Lack of health awareness
Hassen Amin, head of Martyr Legerin Hospital, the only hospital in Tel Tamr, told North Press, “The people underestimate the virus, event though they noticed the increase in the death toll due to coronavirus.”
Amin attributed this to the lack of health awareness within the community. “Unfortunately, health awareness is still poor in our societies.”
He pointed out that although the town of Tel Tamr is considered a rural area, this does not prevent the virus from spreading significantly. “As for the Tel Tamr region, it is a rural area and the virus outbreak is not fast,and the graph is lower compared to large cities. However, we do not mind taking strict measures to curb the spread of this virus.”
He indicated that they are ready to carry out a campaign in institutions and markets to spread awareness among the population.
“For the health committees and the Kurdish Red Crescent in Tel Tamr and its countryside, on a daily basis, we work through teams of healthy educators to educate people and give them our numbers to call us.”