The South Sudan National Taskforce on Covid-19 on Wednesday lifted the national partial lockdown with immediate effect saying there was a significant reduction in infections.

In February, the task force announced a month-long array of stringent measures including a shut-down of most businesses, suspension of public gatherings, and adherence to wearing masks, social distances, and handwashing. The Taskforce chairman Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi also directed law enforcement agencies to enforce the order.

This is the first time the national task force met since the partial lockdown measures elapsed on April 4th, 2021. 

Abdelbagi said during a press conference on Wednesday that after a series of consultations with stakeholders, the partial lockdown had been lifted until further notice.

"The national taskforce is hereby lifting the partial lockdown with immediate effect as of 14 April 2021. Meanwhile, the public is hereby cautioned to continue to observe the instructions of the health authorities particularly washing hands, the mandatory wearing of face masks, social distancing, avoiding crowded places, and reporting all suspected cases by calling the free toll number 666," he added. 

However, the lockdown measures that were imposed earlier were poorly followed. 

On Tuesday, the health ministry confirmed 16 new cases, raising South Sudan’s tally to 10,148.