KHARTOUM: Sudan will keep its airports closed to international and internal scheduled commercial flights for another two weeks until June 28, a spokes-
man for Sudan Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) told Reuters on Sunday.
Sudan shut the airports in March as part of measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. It has been reviewing the closure every two weeks.
Airports are open only for flights transporting cargo, humanitarian aid, oil organizations’ workers or evacuating foreigners, said Abdul Hafiz Abdul Rahim, the SCAA spokesman.
Sudan had reported 7,007 coronavirus infections as of Thursday, including 447 deaths, the Health Ministry said. The number of recoveries in the country is 2,556.
The first flight of the European Humanitarian Air Bridge to support Sudan arrived in Khartoum last week to tackle the impact of the COVID-19.
SPEEDREAD
• Sudan had reported 7,007 coronavirus infections as of Thursday, including 447 deaths.
• The number of recoveries in the country is 2,556.
A Radio Dabanga report quoted Sudan’s health minister as saying the “actual number of COVID-19 cases in the country is higher than the official data.” So far, the highest number of cases has been reported in Khartoum.
The transitional civilian government, which runs Sudan under a power-sharing deal with the army, ordered most businesses, markets, schools and mosques to shut and imposed travel restrictions nearly two months ago.
The government says the lockdown, extended again in the capital Khartoum until June 18, has helped to curb the pandemic. The daily infection rate, at around 200, is much lower than, for example, in neighboring Egypt.
