JUBA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan Ministry of Health on Tuesday confirmed 28 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections to 34.

Riek Machar, first vice president of South Sudan who is also a deputy chairman of the high-level task force on COVID-19, said a total of 139 people were tested for the disease in which 28 turned positive.

"All 28 cases were confirmed positive while 10, including two truck drivers at Nimule border crossing, were equivocal and need a retest," Machar said in a statement issued in Juba.

He said a full-contact tracing operation is underway and called on all the contacts to cooperate with the country's rapid response teams.

Machar said all the new cases were contacts of the fifth patient who was a member of a local community peace caravan, adding that he was the first person to test positive of the COVID-19 with local transmission.

"The high-level task force orders quarantine for all contacts of the fifth case and all members of the Tonj community peace initiative for at least 14 days. Non-compliance with these directives will attract punitive action including forceful quarantine," Machar warned.

South Sudan has stepped up measures to help contain the spread of the deadly virus including closing all learning institutions, banning large gatherings and banning both domestic and international flights. Enditem

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