Rojava coronavirus cases top 4,600

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Northeast Syria, known to Kurds as Rojava, recorded 254 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday, bringing the total number of cases to 4,604. With 6 more deaths recorded, the death toll in the autonomous region is now 125.

The number of cases has spiked this month. Twice as many new cases were recorded in October as in the whole rest of the year, according to the Rojava Information Centre.

The cities of Kobane, Raqqa, Tabqa, and Dirik have seen the highest numbers of cases, collectively recording 163 cases on Saturday, according to the health committee of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria.

The region has limited abilities when it comes to testing for the virus and it is likely the number of cases is much higher than reported figures.

With a shortage of medical equipment and supplies, the health situation in the region is dire, especially for the thousands who live in camps without adequate access to basic necessities like water.

"Most of them now live in overcrowded camps with scarce access to water and poor sanitation. Control measures, such as physical distancing, hand-washing and isolating are challenging, if not simply impossible, for most camp residents," said Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in September.

Authorities on Tuesday announced a 10-day partial lockdown in a bid to limit spread of the virus.

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