Coronavirus: infected ex-soldier of regime forces pushes Kurdish forces to quarantine entire village north of Aleppo

Reliable sources have informed the Syrian Observatory that Kurdish forces placed a full quarantine on Um Al-Housh village in Al-Shahbaa area, north of Aleppo city, after a person had been confirmed infected with the novel coronavirus.

According to SOHR sources, the infected person is a regime soldier who, with the help of smugglers, sneaked to his village (Um Al-Housh) nearly three days after being discharged from military service following the Syrian government’s recent decrees.

“Many residents of the village have celebrated the soldier’s release from service and mingled with him. It was later found that the soldier was infected with the novel coronavirus and reliable reports have confirmed that at least five persons of those who mingled with him are also infected,” the sources added.

It is noteworthy that the village have been under partial curfew for a month, while Kurdish forces close the entrances of the village preventing the entry and exit of people.

After the infected soldier had sneaked into the village, Kurdish forces placed a full quarantine on it. They also adopted additional precautionary measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus, announced  via loudspeakers, the officials said “no one is allowed to get out of his house for 15 days, and the people who mingled with the infected soldier to be registered in “Komin” (communes or local committees responsible for running a specified area’s affairs) to undergo necessary tests. Bread will be delivered by “Komin” to the residents’ houses”. Kurdish forces also announced about several other precautionary recommendations.

The infected ex-soldier of regime forces refutes reports circulated by the Syrian government about the spread of coronavirus in regime-held areas and the number of cases there, since there are many more regime soldiers infected with coronavirus than officially acknowledged.

As concern for the lives and safety of detainees in the regime’s prisons grow, SOHR renews its appeals to the international community to exert pressure on the Syrian regime to release the tens of thousands of detainees and prisoners immediately.