Syrian dictator and wife test positive for virus and isolate

BASHAR AL-ASSAD, the Syrian dictator, and his wife Asma have tested positive for Covid-19 and are quarantining, the regime announced yesterday.

In a statement, Assad’s office said he and his British wife took tests after developing coronavirus-like symptoms and would self-isolate at their home for two to three weeks. Both are said to be experiencing mild symptoms so far.

Asma al-assad grew up in the UK and was last year hit with US sanctions by the Trump administration, which accused her of being “one of Syria’s most notorious war profiteers”.

More than a thousand people have died of Covid according to the regime’s official figures, while there have been some 15,000 cases overall, though the true number is suspected to be much higher.

In the Kurdish-held northeast, the authorities have announced a total of 8,689 cases and 368 deaths.

Meanwhile, in rebel-held northwest Syria, opposition officials have reported 21,209 cases, including 632 deaths.