This archive report was first published on 21 May 2020.
On May 20, 2020, South Sudan confirmed 134 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the country's tally to 481. This includes high-ranking officials who have tested positive for the virus.
South Sudan's Information Minister Michael Makuei has become the third top official in Juba to inform the public about his positive test. He is asymptomatic and has decided to isolate himself from the public to protect others.
Mr. Makuei, who is also the government spokesman, made the announcement on the phone, stating, 'I have decided to isolate myself from the public. Since I tested positive, there is no need to hide it from the public because this is one way of protecting others. I also advise people not to visit me for now, but [to] communicate on phone whenever necessary for I don’t want to be a carrier spreading the virus.'
First Vice President Riek Machar and his wife Angelina Teny, who is also the Defence minister, had announced they had contracted the virus on Monday. Both are asymptomatic.
The Minister for Cabinet Affairs, Elia Lomuro, who is a member of the defunct High-Level Taskforce on Covid-19, has tested negative for the virus.
