Syrian regime’s handling of the spread of coronavirus in its areas triggers widespread popular discontent and fears

The Syrian Observatory has monitored a widespread public discontent among civilians in Syrian regime-controlled areas due to official authorities’ handling the issue of the spread of the novel Coronavirus in the country. Civilians are afraid of the repercussions of the spread of the virus and regime authorities’ secrecy about the situation, indifferent to civilians’ lives, especially in light of poor healthcare services in Syrian regime-controlled areas, about which the World Health Organization has warned.

Yesterday, Syrian regime’s Ministry of Health confirmed the death of a woman infected with coronavirus after she was taken to the hospital. The dead woman was not among the confirmed cases in Syrian regime-controlled areas.

SOHR medical sources in regime-controlled areas have confirmed that more than 260 cases have been quarantined in Damascus, Aleppo, Latakia, Tartus, Homs, Hama and Daraa, 94 of which were tested negative.

 The death toll of coronavirus cases has risen to two, a women and a nurse, amid reports confirm the death of others as a result of the virus.  Meanwhile, Syrian regime keeps deliberately hiding the real cause of deaths by saying the cause of deaths is due to pneumonia.

SOHR sources reported yesterday that the number of people infected with coronavirus of Iranian-backed militias in Al-Mayadeen rose to 29, five of whom were infected in southern countryside of Aleppo of Iranian nationality, as follows: 16 of Iranian nationality and 13 of Iraqi nationality.

This development comes while the regime insists on keeping the infected cases undeclared among Iranian and Iraqi militias operating in Syria.