The novel coronavirus killed a top cleric on Tuesday night, the government said as it reported yet another record high single-day death toll in one of the world’s poorest countries.
Sheikh Nur Barud Gurgan, a leading religious Somali scholar and a fierce critic of Al-Shabaab ideaology has succumbed to COVID-19 at Martini hospital in the capital.
Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has sent heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the late cleric, who was a staunch supporter of his government.
The health ministry also reported Tuesday 100 confirmed new cases of infection in the past 24 hours, raising the total to 5,373.
The total number of deaths climbed to 164 in the country.