DAMASCUS – A mainly rebel-held province in north-west Syria has confirmed its first coronavirus case, sparking fears of a devastating outbreak in crowded camps holding displaced people.
A doctor contracted the virus at a hospital in a town in Idlib near the Turkish border, aid groups said.
They said the doctor was self-isolating and his contacts were being traced.
The hospital where the doctor worked has been closed, said a World Health Organization official in Turkey.
For months aid groups have issued stark warnings about the risks of a coronavirus outbreak in north-western Syria.
Last year, the Syrian government launched an offensive to retake Idlib – the last opposition-held province in the region – from jihadist forces.
Almost one million people have fled their homes in the area since last December, with many of them now living in overcrowded refugee camps with inadequate healthcare facilities and little clean water.
There are fears the virus will spread rapidly through these vulnerable populations, overwhelming an already ravaged healthcare system. (BBC)