South Sudan’s high-level taskforce on COVID-19 on Wednesday confirmed 9 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections to 203.

In a press statement, the taskforce said the new cases were confirmed positive after the public health laboratory in Juba tested 108 samples.

"Of the confirmed cases, contact was one, three alerts, one suspect and four from Juba zones," the taskforce explained.

It added that three of all confirmed cases were males while females counted for six cases with overall age range between 18 and 62 years.

The taskforce commended the sacrifices of health workforce and other frontline workers in fighting COVID-19 pandemic and urged the finance ministry to avail funds needed for incentivising health and frontline workers.

The increase in coronavirus cases comes days after the government eased restrictions which were imposed as part of measures to help control the spread of the virus in the country.