The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Coronavirus outbreaks in north and east Syria | Autonomous Administration imposes partial curfew for ten days

The Autonomous Administration’s executive council issued a decision today, imposing a partial curfew on areas under its control in the wake of coronavirus outbreaks.

 

The decision of curfew, which starts on October 30 and continues for ten days, has conditioned the following terms:

 

  • All hypermarkets and public facilities to be closed, with the exception of shops and groceries which will have to be also closed at 3:00 pm during the period of the curfew, while working in restaurants will be limited to takeaway orders only.

 

  • All houses of worship to be closed except for Friday prayer and Sunday Masses on condition to respect all needed health and precautionary measures.

 

  • All gathering to be banned, while face masks and precautionary measures will be required in public places, markets and official departments.

 

  • Working in all schools, universities, institutes and kindergartens to continue, along with adopting all health and precautionary measures agreed upon between health department and education department in north and east Syria

 

  • Social distancing, hygiene and precautionary measures to be respected in all constructions and institutions of the “Autonomous Administration”.

 

  • The number of officials and employees attending in government and public facilities to be reduced up to a third, if required.

 

The curfew imposed by the joint presidency of the executive council of the Autonomous Administration in north and east Syria region excludes hospitals, public and private medical centers, international organizations, Red Cross and Red Crescent, pharmacies, and all border crossings.

 

A few days ago, medical sources informed SOHR that coronavirus has spread widely in areas under the control of the “Autonomous Administration in northern and north-eastern Syria”, amid health authorities’ incapacity to cover such a large number of infections or test  suspected cases.

 

It is worth noting that the official number of infection cases announced by the Autonomous Administration’s health department reached 3,387, of whom 658 cases were recovered, while 104 other cases died. However, reliable medical SOHR sources confirmed that the confirmed  cases in the Autonomous Administration-controlled areas exceeded 12,500, and 510 infected people died so far.

 

According to SOHR sources, large number of infections were detected in Ain Al-Arab city (Kobani), where over 3,300 infection cases were documented in Ain Al-Arab city alone. In addition, many civilians in Kobani were showing symptoms of COVID-19.

 

SOHR sources also reported coronavirus outbreaks in Al-Hasakah city and countryside, Deir Ezzor and Al-Raqqah, but less dramatically, as the total number of infections in the three provinces approximated 9,200.

 

Meanwhile, the medical sector in the areas controlled by the Autonomous Administration was suffering from deteriorating and disastrous situation, amid the health department’s incapacity to test people showing COVID-19 symptoms. The Autonomous Administration-held areas also experienced the death of tens of infected people due to the lack of appropriate medical care.