President Mohamud test positive of COVID after visit to UAE

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has tested positive for Covid-19.

The newly elected president contacted the diseases days after he returned from a week-long trip to the United Arab Emirates.

The news was confirmed on Friday, the day that he returned to Somalia from UAE meaning that he might have contracted the disease while in the oil-rich Gulf nation.

President Mohamud confirmed the news on his official social media accounts adding that he has “no symptoms but I will continue to self-isolate and serve the people of Somalia from home”.

“My fellow citizens, I would like to inform you that today I tested positive for COVID-19. So far, I have no symptoms but I will continue to self-isolate and serve the people of #Somalia from home,” he said on Friday on his Twitter account.

“I ask we all keep each other safe by following public health advice and guidelines,” he added.

Mr Mohamud, 66, travelled to the UAE on 19 June for his first trip outside the country since he was elected on 15 May.

Mohamud was elected into office for a second term having previously served as president between 2012 to 2017.

Data from the the ministry of health shows that Somalia has over 26,748 COVID-19 positive cases and 1,361 deaths.