Contrary to the social distancing directive, Juba residents marched to a food distribution site at Juba One Girls' Primary School on Thursday, April 2, 2020 | Credit | Courtesy

The High-Level Task Force on COVID-19 pandemic says the government will not completely lockdown the country as there is no confirmed case of the virus.

This is in response to reports that the government had intended to shut down markets and prevent people from leaving their homes by Monday next week.

The rumors reportedly forced people to stock food items and other essential commodities.

In several countries where the pandemic has claimed thousands of lives, governments have imposed total lockdown to prevent and contain the spread of the deadly virus.

But during its 12th meeting on Friday chaired by the First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar, the Task Force on COVID-19 pandemic urged the public not to panic.

It says the government “does not intend to impose total lockdown of the country at this stage.”

The body, however, reiterated adherence to the preventive measures against COVID-19.

These measures include among others, social distancing, staying at home and regularly washing hands with soap.

“South Sudanese are indiscipline, they don’t listen to what is being told to them, everybody assumes to know,” said Dr. Makur Matur Koryom, the Undersecretary in the national Ministry of Health.

“When a public health expert tells you this disease has no treatment, the only thing you can do about it is to prevent it. The only vaccine which is available for you is the so-called social distancing.”

He added that despite numerous advice from the ministry of health, people continue to “gather in markets, loitering around, playing cards under trees, sipping tea, smoking shisha and crowding at restaurants”

“When you are told please restaurant owners, you provide take away service to avoid people crowing because you can only get the disease in those crowds. When you are told to stay at home, it means the virus will never fly to come to you in the house,”  Dr. Koryom who is also a member of the Task Force explained.

According to the World Health Organization, Africa alone had 5,263 confirmed cases with 164 deaths as of yesterday.