Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi Akol who also doubles as the chairman of the national task force on coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday issued a public order instituting a partial lockdown across the country to check the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
The public order signed by Vice President Abdelbagi read in part, “With the emergence of the new variants (Delta and Omicron) and the recent increase in the number of positive cases in the country coupled with the announcement of the fourth wave by the World Health Organization (WHO), the National Taskforce on Coronavirus Pandemic is hereby issuing Public Order No. 16/2021 date 21 December 2021 to effect the partial lockdown measures, which will remain in force until 10 January 2022.”
The Covid-19 national task force warned the public to stop going to the airport in large numbers to receive dead bodies among other preventive measures to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.
“Warn the public to stop receiving dead bodies in numbers at the airport, receptions, and burials. This should only be attended to by not more than twenty immediate relatives,” the order read. “Authorized health facilities and travel terminals (Domestic) are allowed to use the approved antigen-based diagnostic tests (RTDs) for the purpose of screening.”
The order also warned all the public and private health facilities not to admit any Covid-19 patient or suspect but instead alert the Public Health Emergency Operation Center (EOC).
The Vice President also directed Juba City Council and other town municipal councils to ensure that traders, hotels, customers, and the general public comply with environmental cleaning, hygiene, and sanitation, Covid-19 guidelines, and lockdown measures.
“Direct the Civil Aviation Authority to enforce Covid-19 measures at airports,” the order added. “All places of worship, social gathering, entertainment premises, public and private transport, hotels, restaurants, tea places, and markets are directed to reinforce the respective guidelines on Covid-19 prevention measures.”
