Dear President Kiir,

I would like to sincerely thank you for taking such a bold decision to reorganize the National Taskforce on Coronavirus and showing leadership in this fight.

We also want to thank your Office and staffs for constantly engaging with us (citizens). It is very unfortunate and painful that the Coronavirus is claiming lives of our leaders and citizens and the trend of transmission is extremely very high. Mr. President as your citizen i would like to be associated with the SOLUTION to this problem or crisis. I hereby humbly present to you my RECOMMENDATIONS and SUGGESTIONS to your Office;
1. CONSIDER TOTAL LOCKDOWN of JUBA or the COUNTRY for 14 days;
Mr. President, in your address to the recent East Africa Community Heads of State Summit. You did indicate that “if the condition get worse, you’ll consider LOCKING DOWN the country”. Now is the time Mr. President to URGENTLY CONSIDER this option. However, if the following are NOT MET or CONSIDERED then the Lockdown could be

UNNECESSARY and MEANINGLESS;
  a) Enforcement of the ORDER;
 Learning from the previous experience of your ORDER or different RESTRICTIONS issued. There was a HUGE CHALLENGE in enforcing the ORDER by the security agencies. I personally welcome your reconstitute of the new committee by including the security chiefs in the country. It was from this background that I understood their presence and assistance to the committee is very paramount and wanting. It is important that the law enforcement agencies really immediate this orders undiscriminatory. Make sure the security forces or agencies have

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENTs. 
b) Reorganization of the food markets;
It is vital to reorganize the food markets to meet the health standards set out by the Ministry of Health. This should done in partnership with the markets leadership, Juba City Council and the law enforcement agencies. However, it is important that the security agencies maintain law and order in the markets. Mr. President, we can’t afford to completely lockdown the food markets since people still want to purchase food items during the lockdown period. 
c) Clear instructions on VIP funerals or burials and NO huge gatherings;
Mr. President, over the past few days we’ve witnessed huge crowd gatherings for some of the VIP funerals. Although, the Ministry of Health have given clear guidance on this particular issue but it seems your citizens are not following this instruction. It is important that this instruction is clearly emphasized by you. Time will come for us to organize those huge crowds or gatherings and remembrance events for our dear beloved ones lost. Coronavirus doesn’t know People’s status either rich or poor, leader or ordinary citizen. It doesn’t discriminate!
d) Massive testing, isolation, contacts tracing and treatment;
Over the past few days, we have witnessed good number of citizens voluntarily coming out to test for Covid-19. This is commendable and more focus need to be geared towards that.  However, the concept of lockdown is to allow the medical team conduct massive testing, isolate the positive cases and also do contacts tracing. With lockdown, it will be easy to conduct massive testing and tracing their contacts since people are confined in one place. Your government should procured enough testing kits, personal protective equipments for the medical workers. Also, it is important to consider some of the OPEN SPACES or BUILDING we do have to become isolation or treatment centers. 
e) Lack of leadership at the States and Counties level is a HUGE CHALLENGE  in the fight against Covid-19;
As reported by the Ministry of health that Yei, Rumbek, Abyei and Torit have recorded Covid-19 cases. It is very important that you reach out to your RARCISS Parties colleagues to CONSIDER addressing this issue as URGENT. It is now never about politics but saving lives of your citizens. We are fighting an invisible enemy that require the leadership at both states and counties level operational and functional. 
f) Procure and distribute food items to the disadvantaged people;
Mr. President, majority of your citizens in Juba live on work-for-mouth daily. It is important that your government mobilize food items to be supplied to the disadvantaged people. Juba population is estimated to be about 400,000 people and also it has a population of those working in the private sector or the NGO world who can afford to feed themselves for those days. It will be meaningless to have the lockdown with people going hungry for days without food. Make sure that the relief organizations are not affected and can access the people in need of assistance. 

2. Support the MEDICAL WORKERS;
Mr. President consider addressing the medical workers. They’ve done tremendous job in saving lives and responding tirelessly to this pandemic under  difficult circumstances. It is also absurd and heart breaking that most of them are not getting their incentives on time. It is my APPEAL that your government consider REASONABLE PACKAGE for the medical workers. They also need motivation and protection from the government. Protection of medical workers at the frontline fighting Covid-19 should be your TOP PRIORITY. 
3. ALLOW ESSENTIAL WORKERS and HUMANTARIAN ORGANIZATIONS TO OPERATE BUT UNDER STRICK GUIDELINES. 
I thank you Mr. President and it is my hope that my message get to you. 
God bless you Mr. President 
God bless South Sudan 🇸🇸 
FOR JUSTICE, LIBERTY AND PROSPERITY. 
USEFUL YOUTH 
WANI MICHAEL