Ateny Wek Ateny, press secretary in the office of the President, speaks to Eye Radio| Credit | File photo

The press secretary in the office of the President says he has tested positive for coronavirus.

Ateny Wek Ateny says three other officials in the office of the president have also tested positive for the virus.

Samples of over 70 staff at President Salva Kiir’s office were taken on Tuesday by doctors from Dr. John Garang Infectious Disease Center.

Four of the samples returned positive, according to Ateny.

“I was told that I was positive to Covid-19. We were four in number, the four who are positive in the office of the President,” he told Eye Radio from his isolation room on Thursday.

He did not mention the names of the other three but said they are two females and one male.

These include a cashier, deputy inspector for administration and a security officer.

Ateny said President Salva Kiir has not been taken for test and he is in good health.

Last year, the First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar, Vice President in charge of Economic Cluster, Dr. James Wani Igga, Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi who is the chairman of National Taskforce on Covid-19, Defense Minister Angelina Teny, and Information Minister, Michael Makuei all tested positive for coronavirus.

Yesterday, South Sudan recorded two more deaths related to coronavirus – raising the number of fatalities to 71.

As of yesterday, the total number of cumulative cases in the country is 4, 960, with 3,729 recoveries.