Bashar al-Assad, President of Syria warned Monday of a “catastrophe” in the war-stricken country if the easing of the lockdown directive against COVID-19 is mismanaged.
The government in Damascus has officially confirmed 44 cases of COVID-19, including three deaths, while Kurdish authorities in the northeast of the country have recorded three cases in areas under their purview.
The relatively low number of confirmed cases does not mean Syria is “out of the danger zone”, Assad told the government’s coronavirus crisis agency
“Although the numbers are limited, this doesn’t mean they can’t explode suddenly in a matter of days or maybe weeks,” he said in a video shared on the presidency’s social media channels.
“This will put us in the face of a real catastrophe that would overwhelm the state’s health and logistical capabilities.”
Last week, the Assad-led government started to gradually ease down the week long lockdown that has thwarted a crumbling economy battered by Western sanctions and nine years of internal war.
The directed night-time curfew is still in place and citizens are not allowed to travel across provinces, but food and nonessential markets have been allowed to reopen during day time and the government on Monday said that Friday prayers will resume on May 8.
Assad mentioned that Syria was in a “transitional phase” from the lockdown but warned of grave economic challenges ahead.
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Syria is in the wake of debilitating economic cataclysm that has seen its currency hit record lows in the foreign exchange market, while inflation has soared, bringing most of the population below the poverty line.
“In tandem with the health challenge, the other challenge during the coronavirus pandemic and even before is the economic challenge,” Assad said.
With the pandemic, “citizens from different segments of society have been forced to choose between hunger and poverty… or illness.”
Later Monday, an international flight landed at the Damascus airport in the evening bringing in 251 Syrian citizens from the United Arab Emirates, the official SANA news agency said.
It is part of the Syrian government’s efforts to repatriate nationals stranded abroad.
The SANA revealed that returnees will be in isolation for two weeks as soon as they arrive.