South Sudan’s information and communication minister Michael Makuei Lueth has been diagnosed with coronavirus.

Minister Makuei told VOA’s South Sudan in Focus on Tuesday that he has tested positive for the new coronavirus, becoming the third senior government official known to have gotten infected.

The official said he is among some members of the former High-Level Taskforce on COVID-19 who tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

“Yes, I am positive. I have been informed that some members of the former committee are positive,” he said.

Makuei, who is also the government spokesman, called upon health officials to start tracing his potential contacts in the capital, Juba.

First Vice President Riek Machar and his wife Angelina Teny have also tested positive for COVID-19.

Machar on Monday said that he and his wife, who is also the Defense minister, had contracted the virus after interacting with infected members of the former taskforce on COVID-19.

South Sudan has so far recorded 347 cases of the novel coronavirus.