65 suspected cases tested negative for coronavirus… The Ministry of Transport takes precautionary measures to contain coronavirus

The director of the public health laboratories at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Shibel Khoury, stated that the reference laboratory for detecting new cases of Coronavirus had tested 65 samples and their results were negative, adding that no confirmed infection has been recorded so far.

In a statement to SANA, Khoury referred to the efforts exerted to increase the capacity of the laboratory so that it can conduct a test for 30 to 40 samples per day instead of 10 to 15 samples as well as to provide the laboratory with prerequisites and qualified technical cadres.
In turn, the head of the Department of Contagious and Chronic Diseases at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Hazar Pharaon, stated that the Ministry has equipped a medical center in al- Duwair area in Damascus countryside. The Center is provided with 100 beds and divided into two parts, the first for quarantine for suspected cases of HIV infection and the second to take care of the cases that are discovered to be infected with corona virus.

Pharaon underlined the need that the citizens should take precaution by avoiding gatherings and children’s play areas as well as adhering to appropriate health rules, especially hygiene and sterilization and reviewing the nearest health center or hospital in the event of any complaint of high temperature which is associated with throat pain and difficulty in breathing.
Pharaon stated that the Ministry has allocated medical points on the humanitarian corridors that are prepared by the concerned authorities for the exit of civilians to the safe areas to ensure the safety of the arrivals and to take measures in case of suspicion of any infection.
Meanwhile, in the context of applying the precautionary measures to tackle the Coronavirus, the Ministry of Transport work teams, in cooperation with the medical staff in the Ministry of Health, began to sterilize the ships docking at Syrian ports.
The Ministry of Transport stated that its work teams, in cooperation with medical staff in the Ministry of Health, have also begun to sterilize airports.
On March 12, the Ministry of Transport had asked all its affiliated “land, sea and air” departments to take full measures to sterilize the transportation means coming to Syria as part of the precautionary measures related to containing the Coronavirus.

Inas Abdulkareem