War-ravaged Afghanistan which has, for decades, tried to keep its economy moving amid all the chaos and trouble, has been hit by a new crisis. Like the rest of the world, the landlocked country too is witnessing a COVID-19 outbreak.?
Afghanistan has officially reported only 933 cases of coronavirus, including 33 deaths.But the impoverished nation has had only limited access to testing, and observers fear the real numbers are much higher.?
Even as the country struggles to keep the outbreak under control, there is more bad news. About 20 workers in Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's palace have tested positive for the coronavirus, AFP quoted two officials as saying.?
But so far, there is no indication the president himself has been infected."Twenty-odd people are infected with COVID-19 in the presidential palace. However, it is (being) kept under wraps to ensure no panic is caused," one government official said.?
A second official confirmed the number and said an additional 12 people from the president's administrative office had also contracted the virus.Ghani's spokesman Sediq Sediqqi declined to comment and referred questions to the health ministry, which also would not comment, saying it did not disclose the identity of its patients.?
Ghani, 70, recently began his second term as president and faces multiple crises, including a floundering peace process and an attack on his authority by his bitter rival Abdullah Abdullah, who also has claimed the presidency.Kabul is currently on a coronavirus lockdown, which authorities recently extended for three weeks, and all government offices are shut.?
Ghani lives in a sprawling palace compound in central Kabul. Recent official photos have shown him wearing a mask and gloves, and mainly holding online meetings with officials.?
Recently India had provided Afghanistan with over 600,000 tablets including hydroxychloroquine to help the country during the pandemic. Earlier India had also provided wheat to the country.?
¡°In a series of offerings of critical drugs, India sent 100,000 paracetamol and 500,000 hydroxychloroquine tablets to Afghanistan through Ariana Airlines today. This is in addition to the 1st consignment of wheat India shipped earlier to bolster food security. Heartfelt thanks!¡± Tahir Qadiry, Afghanistan¡¯s Charge d¡¯Affaires in New Delhi, said in a Twitter post.?
He had also thanked the Indian government for the help with evacuation of 240 Afghan nationals stranded in India. He said that it was the 10th flight in succession, for the purpose of evacuation, and expressed hope to schedule more such flights in the coming days.