Yemen declares Aden an "infested" city as coronavirus spreads
Yemeni authorities declared Aden, an “infested” city on Monday after the number of coronavirus cases there jumped
The World Health Organization (WHO) says there is a full-blown transmission of the virus in Yemen, with the disease spreading undetected among a population with some of the lowest levels of immunity to disease compared with other states
Testing capabilities are inadequate but the WHO has also urged local authorities to transparently report confirmed cases
The Aden-based national coronavirus committee late on Sunday announced 17 new COVID-19 cases, 10 of them in the southern port city, to raise the total count in areas under the government’s control to 56 with eight deaths
The committee said Aden had been declared an “infested city” due to the spread of the coronavirus and other diseases already rife in the country after recent flooding. It said movement from Aden to other regions was barred, except for transport of goods
“The administrative and political situation in Aden is also hampering efforts to combat the coronavirus and this should be remedied so relevant entities can carry out their duties,” the committee said on its Twitter account