BREAKING: Vice President, Wife Test Positive For COVID-19

South Sudan Vice President and former Rebel Leader, Riek Machar has tested positive for COVID-19, the disease also known as the novel coronavirus.

Brandnewsday reports that South Sudan first Vice President alongside his wife, Minister of Defence Angelina Teny have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

According to a statement released on Monday, South Sudan Minister for Defence and “a number of his office staff and bodyguards” have also been infected.

This was made known on Monday by the office’s Facebook page, as the statement was credited to press secretary James Gatdek Dak.

South Sudan Vice President Test Positive To COVID-19

The statement reads: ”Machar has issued a public statement declaring that he is found positive, and from today will self-quarantine in his residence for the next 14 days.”

South Sudan has so far recorded 339 cases of COVID-19 and six deaths, while four patients have recovered, according to the health ministry on Monday.

South Sudan, which is emerging from a devastating six-year civil war has recorded a low case of the novel coronavirus, however, aid agencies are projecting the alarm over a sharp rise in cases in recent days.

COVID-19: How The Coronavirus Disease Spread

COVID-19 causes illness such as common cold, fever and difficulty in breathing. The novel COVID-19 spreads via droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes and their droplets lands in the mouth or noses of their people. It can be contracted by touching contaminated surfaces or objects or touching the eyes, nose or mouth.

Meanwhile, the total number of COVID-19 recorded cases in the world has jumped to 4.8 million people;  over 319,000 people have been killed by the virus, while about 1.9 Million people have recovered.

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