A senior opposition official in Sudan’s Nuba Mountains region has urged residents to strictly follow health advisories to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Al-Nur Saleh, the rebel-appointed governor of the Nuba Mountains region, told Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday that health officials are educating the locals on how to enhance preventive measures against the novel coronavirus.

Saleh,  a senior member of the SPLM-N faction led by General Abdel-Aziz al-Hilu,  said residents should avoid direct contact with others such as shaking hands and hugging for their safety.

"The virus has become a threat in the world and the people of the Nuba Mountains do not live outside Sudan,” Saleh said.

The opposition governor emphasized the need to halt movement for people from northern parts of the country into the Nuba Mountains region in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ismael Hamid Kambal, a member of the health secretariat in the region, urged residents to maintain personal hygiene by frequently washing their hands with soap.

Seven people are infected with COVID-19 in Sudan, with two deaths.