​​​​​​​Damascus government numbers of Corona infection are much lower than total number

The first official blunders within the government of Damascus began with the beginning of the school year, where the skirmishes in the statements between the Dean of Human Medicine Faculty 'Nabogh Al-Awa' and the Minister of Education 'Darem Tabaa' ended with utter irony on social media, and the resignation of Al-Awa to settle the matter with the continuation of the school year despite all the risks and the scarcity or even absence of prevention methods.

 As a result, the dispute continued within the Damascus government regarding closure or abandoning the people to their fate, until members of the Damascus Governorate Council suggested closing schools for a period of 15 days, preventing group events such as weddings and condolences, in addition to monitoring the commitment of restaurants and cafes to the spacing among tables.

On the 20^th of this month, the Syrian Minister of Health told the media outlets of the Damascus government that it is possible for the government to decide a partial closure or other procedure.

According to the statistics of the Ministry of Health, the number of infections with the Corona virus till November 24 has reached 7,369, of which 3,213 cases were cured, and 358 cases died, noting that the infections recorded in Syria are those whose results were confirmed by test.

'Damascus and its countryside are the two hot spots'

Informed experts confirmed that the UN reports indicate that the cases of Corona virus infection in Syria are much higher than the confirmed cases reported, and the failure of the governmental measures taken to limit the spread of the virus, as the health system is crumbling to collapse before the virus even exists, in light of the economic crisis the country is witnessing, where an employee in government institutions gets a salary of about 50,000 to 80,000 SP monthly, while a corona test costs about 200,000 SP in the areas of the Damascus government.

Matt Hamzley, Policy Advisor at Oxfam and who resides in Damascus says: "All conditions are ripe for it to spread quickly, and this is what is happening. Damascus and its countryside are the two hot spots."

The expert added to our agency that if congestion on all necessities of life in Syria; bread, gas and all other living matters is not addressed, then the spread of the virus will not be curbed even if a partial curfew is imposed.

He considered that it is strange and illogical to take measures to prevent the celebration of holidays, while allowing a human explosion in front of bakeries and Syrian trade and other institutions.

Citizens complain

As a result of the war conditions that Syria has been going through since 10 years, the suffocating economic crisis that the Damascus government is witnessing as a result of widespread corruption, clientelism and mismanagement, in addition to the Caesar Act of sanctions imposed by the United States, the health sector in various parts of the country has been devastated.

This devastation casts a shadow over the health situation in the country, and the health services provided to citizens, as these services have become almost non-existent, amid the unavailability of medicines and their high prices if they are available.

In this context, the citizen "S.R." who refused to reveal his name due to security necessity says: "Frankly, I do not know if I got infected or not because I am unable to bear the expenses of conducting the test or even going to the specialist doctor," indicating that he felt all symptoms of infection with the virus, but he nevertheless exercised his life normally.

'Neglected schools and private hospitals like slaughterhouses'

Whereas, the citizen "N.A." says that her children are severely vulnerable to infection, despite her keenness to sterilize , and instructing them to do so by themselves at school, but the school lacks even toilets suitable for human use.

As for the citizen "Y.A.," he confirmed that he and a number of his colleagues at work were infected, but they did not receive any care from any government hospital.

He pointed out that government hospitals refused to receive one of his infected colleagues although his condition was most critical as a result of his asthma, under the pretext of the lack of artificial respirators.

He criticized the private hospitals, saying: "Private hospitals have become like slaughterhouses, imposing large wages and avoiding receiving emergency cases."

The cases of infection announced by the Damascus government are much less than the total number of infections in its regions.

D.H