The legitimate Yemeni government reported outbreaks of the new coronavirus in three more southern provinces on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases in areas under its control to 65, with ten deaths.
The Aden-based government’s coronavirus committee said nine new COVID-19 cases had been confirmed, including for the first time in the provinces of Abyan, al-Mahra and Shabwa, where one person died.
Four more infections were reported in Aden, the government’s interim seat, taking the total there to 39.
The World Health Organization says it fears COVID-19 could rip through Yemen as the population has some of the lowest levels of immunity to disease compared with other countries. Minimal testing capacity has added to concerns.
The five-year conflict has shattered Yemen’s health system and left its population weakened by hunger and disease.
The Aden government has now reported infections in seven provinces under its control, stretching from the Red Sea in the west to the Omani border in the country’s east.
The Iran-backed Houthi militias have so far reported only two infections, with one death, from the novel coronavirus, both in Sanaa.
The militias are widely suspected of concealing infections.
The Aden government reported Yemen’s first case on April 10 in a southern port town and there have been almost daily announcements of new cases over the past 12 days.
The United Nations said on Monday the recent sharp rise in cases indicated the virus had been circulating undetected for weeks, increasing the likelihood of a surge in cases.
.jpg?w=600)
