Second wave of virus claims new victims in Somalia

A resurgence of COVID-19 cases is hitting Somalia hard, with one of the world's most fragile health systems strained by the latest wave. Doctors and nurses at the Martini Hospital in Mogadishu, which provides the capital's only virus isolation centre, have continued work around the clock to try and save lives.

50 people have died in the past two and a half weeks, Martini hospital deputy director Sadaq Adan Hussein told The Associated Press during a visit. Sixty other patients admitted during the period have recovered. He believes it is due to a new variant of the virus. Somalia's virus infections have jumped from 4,784 to 6,549 this month alone, according to official data.

The government has banned public gatherings, citing the pandemic, but opposition presidential candidates and other critics of President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed allege that the ban is instead meant to stifle their demonstrations calling on the president to step aside.

Another demonstration around the election delay was expected Friday in Mogadishu. The previous one last week was fired on by security forces. Adding to anxiety, some health workers believe Somalia's COVID-19 death toll is much higher than the official one of 218, saying it's in part because many people believe they will receive better care in private hospitals.

Somalia, like many countries across Africa, doesn't have an official system for tracking mortality data, and even the number of graveyards in Mogadishu is unknown. For months, many in Somalia took COVID-19 lightly as much of the world locked down. With the resurgence in cases, many Mogadishu residents are now wearing face masks and no longer shaking hands.

Official telephone and radio messages about coronavirus prevention have returned. Mosques, schools and markets are as active as before, however. But there is a growing sense of loss. At the Martini hospital's isolation ward, a 15-year-old boy, Mahad Mohamed Ibrahim, was grieving his mother.

"The coronavirus has come into the city," he said. "We need someone to stop it and give us medicine that would give us prevention. Now you see I am sad today as my mother died, and you will see many others whose parents will also die."

He called for vaccinations to be given to the community to help prevent further deaths. Somalia, like most African countries, has yet to see a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, though they also are expected to start arriving next month. So far it has reported 6,549 cases of coronavirus, with 218 deaths, according to the most recent data from Johns Hopkins University. However, like many countries across Africa, Somalia doesn't have an official system for tracking mortality data, and even the number of graveyards in Mogadishu is unknown.