Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Damascus, SANA- The Health Ministry has affirmed raising the state of alert for addressing the outbreak of the novel coronavirus after registering 21 cases among people who have been in close contact with other people who had come from abroad.
The Ministry indicated that although the number of the cases is not large, but it is a dangerous indicator on the recklessness of some people and the possibility of the development in the number of the registered cases and the outbreak of the virus and the return of imposing tight precautionary measures again.
In a statement read by Assistant Director of the Contagious and Terminal Diseases Department at the Health Ministry Dr. Atef al-Tawil noted that immediately after detecting new infections among people who have been in close contact with people who came from abroad, the Health Ministry took the required measures to curb the outbreak of the virus through imposing a lockdown on Ras al-Ma’ara town in Damascus Countryside, in addition to taking swabs from the locals who have got in close contact with the confirmed cases.
The statement added that such measures have previously succeeded in controlling the infections and curbing the outbreak of the virus in the areas of al- Sayeda Zeinab and Mnin in Damascus Countryside.
in its statement, the Ministry warned off the impacts of the recklessness and the irresponsible health behavior of some people on the safety of their families and society and the economic activity in light of the current developments, indicating that the increase in the number of the infections might mean the return to imposing precautionary measures on the national level.
The statement added that over the past period, the Ministry has been able to contain the pandemic through taking speedy measures and it has been able to flatten the coronavirus curve, yet any irresponsible behavior might lead Syria to the dangerous stage, particularly after the recent statements made by the World Health Organization on that the situation of the coronavirus has been worsening across the world.
The Ministry affirmed that what is required now is the awareness and the adherence to the personal preventive measures, and not to spread rumors and false information, renewing its keenness on announcing any new developments on the coronavirus pandemic through its platforms on the internet and the mass media.
The Ministry added that in a time when the countries of the world are exerting all possible efforts for addressing the coronavirus, the US and European states work on undermining the capabilities of the health sector in Syria and its ability to tackle the pandemic and to meet the health needs of the citizens through going far in imposing the inhuman economic unilateral measures on Syria and depriving the Syrian people of their simplest rights in obtaining its health needs which entails an urgent action by the international society for lifting those measures.
It is noteworthy that the number of the registered coronavirus cases in Syria has reached 146, of which 62 have recovered, 6 have passed away and 78 are still being treated.
Ruaa al-Jazaeri