ADEN, Yemen, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Southern Transitional Council (STC) on Wednesday declared a three-day 24-hour curfew, in a bid to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country's southern port city of Aden.
Responding to the recording five confirmed cases of COVID-19, the STC that's controlling Aden and the neighboring southern cities announced a series of measures to curb the spread of the disease in the main cities.
According to the STC's official website, the measures included imposing full curfew for 72 hours starting at midnight local time in all the neighborhoods of Aden in addition to shutting down all the large shopping centers.
Meanwhile, the department of Yemen's Ministry of Endowment and Religious Guidance banned congregational prayers in Aden until further notice.
Earlier in the day, a statement posted on Twitter by Yemen's supreme national emergency committee for COVID-19 said that five new confirmed COVID-19 cases were recorded in Aden.
On April 10, Yemen's supreme national emergency committee declared that a 60-year-old Yemeni man, who worked in Ash Shihr, was diagnosed with COVID-19.
Yemen's Ministry of Health announced Monday that the first confirmed case had recovered.
Plagued by cholera, malnutrition, and diphtheria, Yemen lacks the ability to cope with deadly epidemics as its five years of civil war has almost destroyed its healthcare system.
According to UN estimates, nearly 80 percent of the population in Yemen require humanitarian assistance and protection.
The country has 10 million people who are a step away from famine and 7 million people who are malnourished. Enditem
