Delegates at the Freedom Hall, Juba, on Tuesday, November 3, 2020 | Lou Nelson/Eye Radio

A civil society leader has called on the steering committee of the National Dialogue to observe the preventive measures of COVID-19 during the national conference.

According to reporters who covered the opening ceremony, the participants did not follow the health protocols – with some not wearing face masks nor did they practice hand washing.

There was no alleged sight of sanitizers at the venue either.

The executive director of Okay Africa Foundation confirmed that more than 400 participants where packed in the hall with no social distancing enforced.

“The top priority of the government is Covid-19 prevention. But if it is able to host that number of people in a small space without enough air getting into the room, what kind of message are they sending to the people? Asked Wani Michael.

On November 2, 2020, the ministry of health has warned of a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic after an increase in positive cases in recent weeks.

This came after 43 people tested positive for the virus a week before.

Out of this, 2,926 tested positive, 2,673 of them have recovered from the disease and 59 have died since the dreaded virus was recorded in the country in April.

The national conference, which commenced on Tuesday, is expected to run for 14 days.

The participants are expected to deliberate on some issues affecting the grassroots communities – including communal conflicts, cattle wrestling, and revenge attacks.

President Salva Kiir initiated the national dialogue in December 2017, saying it was a means to unite and reconcile the people after years of a brutal conflict since December 2013.