Originally posted by the Voice of America.
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First COVID-19 Death Reported in South Sudan

Waakhe Simon Wudu

   JUBA , SOUTH SUDAN - South Sudan health officials announced the
   country's first death from COVID-19onFriday, with a top health official
   describingthe deceased as a 51-year old "high-profile South Sudanese."

   The deceasedarrived at a military hospital in Juba on Wednesday evening
   in critical condition,according to health ministry undersecretary
   Dr.MakurMaturKoriom, who is also a member of South Sudan's High-Level
   Taskforce for COVID-19.

   "While arrangements were being made for referral to Dr. John Garang
   Infectious Disease Center, the victim sadly succumbed to his illness
   and the results came out today confirming the cause of death to be
   respiratory failure due to COVID-19 infection,"MaturtoldVOA'sSouth
   Sudan in Focus.

   Victim a military official?

   There are reports that the COVID-19 victim is a senior South Sudanese
   military official, althoughSouth Sudan army spokesperson Brigadier
   General LulRuaiKoangtold VOA he has not heard of a military officer or
   commander dying from COVID-19.

   The deceased is among 28 new COVID-19 cases the task force announced
   Thursday night.Twenty-sevenof the 28 cases are South Sudanese;the
   otheris a Kenyan,Matursaid.

   Two of the new cases were in contact with a known COVID-19 patient, 20
   were identified from random screenings in Juba, and the remaining six
   cases were tested in Juba following alerts from members of the
   public,Matursaid.

   The health ministry undersecretaryurgedcitizens to immediately report
   suspected cases to health officials so they can get tested.

   "It's important because almost all the suspects we have at the moment
   in the [isolation] facility,including the dead,arrived at the facility
   late, due to delay[s] at home or they were managed in private
   facilities for sometimesbefore they were sent to our health facilities
   in critical condition,"Matursaid.

   Almost 4,000 samples wait to be tested

   As of Thursday evening, 3,986 samples at Juba's public health
   laboratory needed to be tested for coronavirus. Contact tracing for 465
   people whocame into contact withCOVID-19 patients was underway
   according to health officials.

   Health ministry spokesperson DoctorThuouLoi said officials suspect
   there are many more unconfirmed COVID-19 cases in communities across
   the country.

   "By simple calculation when we know onecasewe say that there are
   another 2.5 we don't know outside there," Loisaid.

   He said the public should continue practicing social distancing,
   wearing masks in public, and following other preventative measures
   outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the health
   ministry.

   "All of us in the Republic of South Sudan are at risk,and we don't know
   now who has it and who does not have it,and the only way to do that is
   for us to consistently implement what the health experts are telling
   us:keep social distancing, hands hygiene, no handshaking," Loi told
   VOA.

   WHO and health ministry officials said last week that despitearising
   number of confirmed cases in South Sudan, some COVID-19 patients
   refused to cooperate with health workers involved with contacttracing.

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