BEIRUT – Kurdish-led authorities in north-eastern Syria announced Thursday they will extend a partial lockdown for another week amid a surge in coronavirus cases. The extension comes as an international aid group warned of oxygen shortages in the neglected region of the war-ravaged country. Northeast Syria has seen a sharp increase in virus cases and deaths in recent weeks. The new cases raise to 15,796 the total registered coronavirus cases in the region, including 571 deaths. Last week, the Syrian government received a batch of 203,000 COVID-19 vaccines, part of which will be sent to the northeast.

Source: The North Africa Journal April 29, 2021 14:48 UTC