Two of the seven people who tested positive for coronavirus in Yei River County of Central Equatoria State have escaped, a health official said.

Dr. James Wani, the Director General of health in the defunct Yei River State, told Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday that the remaining patients are undergoing treatment while the two escaped to Lainya County and Juba city.

“The five cases all are in good health condition. We met them; they are very cooperative and are in self-isolation. We have 26 other contacts in different areas of Yei and we are tracing them,” he said.

He added, “These people are not sick, although they are positive. We met and we agreed with their family members that they should not move out of their homes and we do follow-up with them.”

Wani appealed to the public to adhere to the COVID-19 preventive measures to avoid the spread of the pandemic.

South Sudan has so far recorded 203 positive cases of the novel coronavirus.