COVID-19 cases in Somalia rise to 80 as 20 more test positive

Twenty more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Somalia bringing to 80 confirmed cases in the Horn of Africa nation.

The Somalia COVID19 agency which recently took charge of the reporting the COVID19 cases from the Ministry of Health said Wednesday the country had recorded an additional 20 cases while three more people have died.

Wednesday’s figures are the second highest recorded in the country and comes barely two days after the 35 cases were announced Monday.

Relative to the first month since the disease arrived in Somalia, the numbers have shot in double digits raising concerns the global pandemic could be fast spreading in the country.

Health Minister Fawziya Abikar said Monday 52 patients were being attended to in their homes while 8 were in critical condition.

The first case of COVID-19 was recorded in mid-march but and it took about two weeks before the numbers trickling in. The country saw an uptick in the COVID-19 by the first week of April with cases of local transmission increasing.

An 8pm to 5am curfew came to effect in Mogadishu Wednesday as the Horn of Africa nation ramps up measures to battle the disease which has since infected more than 3 million people globally.