Vice President of Sudan And Wife Test Positive For COVID-19

South Sudan’s vice chairman , Riek Machar and his wife Angelina Teny, who is that the defence minister have both tested positive for COVID-19. 

The announcement was made on Monday by Dr Machar who said that he and his wife had contracted the virus after interacting with infected members of the High-Level Taskforce on Covid-19, a team drafted to assist fight the pandemic.

This was confirmed during a statement released on Monday May 18 by his office. it had been further revealed that “a number of his office and bodyguards” had also tested positive for COVID-19.

“We are still awaiting other tests and hopefully tomorrow we'll have the complete list (of positive cases among the Taskforce),” Dr Machar told a televised press conference in Juba on Monday. “All our colleagues that have tested positive are in healthiness .”

He added that he and his wife will quarantine in their home.

“A doctor could also be visiting us until they tell us it's time to finish the quarantine. All our colleagues also will be self-quarantining,” Dr Machar said.

South Sudan was the last East African Community member state to report a Covid-19 case when a UN staffer reporting to duty from abroad tested positive in April. The cases have since risen to 347 and 6 deaths. No recoveries are reported.

Strained by a seven-year war , South Sudan has one among the poorest health systems.