COVID-19 deaths low, UN still fears for Syrians

The United Nations special envoy for Syria on Monday said that indications that the pandemic "has so far not hit Syria at scale initially feared" have given rise to relief as well as concerns about a potential future uppicks in cases.

Geir Pedersen told the U.N. Security Council that the officially reported number of cases is 64 in Syria, of which 58 are in government-controlled areas and 6 are in the northeast, but he cautioned that testing has been limited. No cases have yet been reported in the northwest, the last rebel-held stronghold, he said.

Pederson also said there was "deep anxiety" over the fact that fighting and violence, while having decreased, were by no means halted, causing concerns over potential escalation.

Speaking at the virtual session, the U.S ambassador to the U.N. accused the Assad regime of "exploiting the COVID-19 crisis to its own strategic, political and military advantage" and delaying the delivery medical aid to COVID-19 hotspots.

Kelly Craft also demanded the immediate release of all civilians detained arbitrarily, especially women, children and the elderly - as crowded conditions could hasten the spread of the virus in the war-torn country.

The global pandemic has sickened more than 4,7 million people, killed more than 316,000 worldwide.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks.

But it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death for some people, especially older adults and people with existing health problems.