KHARTOUM, October 23, 2020 - Despite the World Health Organization's (WHO) warnings about the return of COVID-19 in a second wave again, normal life has returned to Sudan in markets, events, wedding halls and funerals. Sudan has been well known for its many social events and occasions, and this comes without regard to the health and safety measures. COVID-19 infection cases in the first wave had crossed 13,724 cases and recovery cases reached 6,764, the number of stable cases is 6,124, while 836 people have died due to complications, and more than 60% of the cases were local according to the Sudanese Ministry of Health report, as for death rate it was uneven between sexes, marking 29% for females and 71% for males.
COVID-19 SITUATION
Countrywide quarantine was lifted in mid-September after the number of new cases decreased, reaching zero in both infections and deaths. Hospitals suffered from poor services during the pandemic, and the Sudanese authorities imposed fees for examination, after it was free at the National Public Health Laboratory, to become 40 USD for embassies and diplomats, and 25 USD for citizens. Knowing that COVID-19 tests are on request, and mandatory for travelers only.
The health-care sector conditions are bad, with closure of hospitals for about five months from March to September, and lack of medicines. In addition, to the degrading economic situation due to changes in the Sudanese government, the pandemic crisis, and the major flash floods that happened causing the spread of comorbidities such as fevers and polio.
SPORTS AND JOURNALISM
The sports community and journalism, being part of the Sudanese society, have been heavily affected by coronavirus; the situation for journalists was very difficult. The printing press stopped and newspapers were not available for nearly three months, some journalists had their salaries halted or cut in half, and their income became insufficient with no governmental aid for journalists.
No institutions reported to be closed or about to close due to COVID-19.
Sports activity was stopped by a decision of the Higher Emergency and Crisis Committee formed by the Sudanese government. The Ministry of Youth and Sports announced the decision to stop sporting activity from March to September in a period of five months total, no players were infected, while two members of Board of Directors of the Sudanese Football Association have passed away due to COVID-19 (Khair Sayed Abdel-Qader and Faisal Youssef), And the national team captain and former Marikh and Al-Hilal player Haitham Mustafa recovered after testing positive.
Sports activity returned in September with no audience, meanwhile football activity continues with no audience and with a limited number of journalists, except for the states of West Cordovan and Blue Nile, which are free of the pandemic, while other sports continue their normal activity.
