By ABDULKADIR KHALIF

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Somalia recorded 198 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, Minister of Health Dr Fawziq Abikar Nur said.

“Considering this figure recorded over the last 24 hours, the total number of positive cases has jumped to 6,444,” Dr Nur told the media in the capital Mogadishu.

She said seven more people succumbed to the Covid-19, raising the toll to 215.

“Three more people have recovered from the infectious disease, bringing the total number of recoveries to 3,781,” she added.

The government hopes to start vaccinating its people as soon as it receives 1.2 million doses from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The country has lost several prominent persons to Covid-19 in the past week including Sheikh Nur Barood Gurhan, a well-known religious scholar and preacher, Faduma Ali alias Nakruma, a popular singer and long-term member of Waberi Band, Haji Daud Elmi Arif, a Mogadishu-based hotelier and Ugas Hassan Ugas Khalif, an influential traditional clan leader from Hirshabelle State.

Despite the surge of Covid-19 in recent weeks, the government said on Wednesday that the education centres will remain open, but caution would be exercised.

The Ministry of Education, in a statement, called on students at all levels, parents, teachers and other stakeholders in the sector to adhere strictly to all guidelines issued to contain the spread of the virus.

“All the teachers and students must ensure that the necessary preventative measures such as wearing face masks, maintain safe distances in and out of the classrooms, regular hand washing are used while thermometers to take temperatures are kept at the entrances,” the ministry said.

At the same time, Somalia has suspended applications and issuance of passports as a result of the resurgence. 

“The Department of Immigration and Naturalisation is not going to accept applications or issue new passports effective February 27,” it was announced on Wednesday.