South Sudan health officials announced the country’s first death from COVID-19 on Friday, with a top health official describing the deceased as a 51-year old "high-profile South Sudanese."
The deceased arrived at a military hospital in Juba on Wednesday evening in critical condition, according to health ministry undersecretary Dr. Makur Matur Koriom, who is also a member of South Sudan’s High-Level Taskforce for COVID-19.
There are reports that the COVID-19 victim is a senior South Sudanese military official, although South Sudan army spokesperson Brigadier General Lul Ruai Koang told VOA he has not heard of a military officer or commander dying from COVID-19.
Health ministry spokesperson Doctor Thuou Loi said officials suspect there are many more unconfirmed COVID-19 cases in communities across the country.
WHO and health ministry officials said last week that despite a rising number of confirmed cases in South Sudan, some COVID-19 patients refused to cooperate with health workers involved with contact tracing.
