COVID-19 pandemic in Eritrea explained

COVID-19 pandemic in Eritrea
Disease:COVID-19
Virus Strain:SARS-CoV-2
Location:Eritrea
First Case:Asmara
Arrival Date:21 March 2020
Origin:Wuhan, Hubei, China

The COVID-19 pandemic in Eritrea is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 . The virus was confirmed to have reached Eritrea on 21 March 2020. The government introduced strict social distancing measures by end of March 2020 which was enforced until April 2021. In April 2021 the government relaxed restrictions and opened up schools, resumed commercial flights and public transportation. Mask and social distancing guidelines are still in place.

Background

On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.[1] [2]

The case fatality rate for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003,[3] [4] but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.[5] [3]

Timeline

March 2020

April to June 2020

July to December 2020

January to December 2021

January to December 2022

Statistics

Confirmed deaths per day

Preventive measures

As a precautionary measure, the government has urged people not to travel to or from the country, and, was quarantining any incoming travellers who have recently been in Iran, Italy, China, or South Korea.[44]

The government put in guidelines forbidding overcharging on goods during the lockdown. Enforcement of these measured has been reported in jurisdictions like Massawa.

As the pandemic became more serious, the government decreed a nationwide lockdown, banning on all non-essential local and international flights. During the international travel ban, returning Eritreans are subject to mandatory quarantine; as of June 16, 2020 there were3,405 people still in quarantine across 47 quarantine centers in the country.[45]

By May 2022, Eritrea was one of the last two countries that had yet to start a COVID vaccination program.[46] When the North Korean vaccination program started in its border areas in late September, Eritrea was alone in having no mass vaccination program against COVID-19.[47]

Diaspora response

Diaspora communities have been sending large volumes of money to support relief efforts in the country. For example, Eritrean Americans had sent at least US$4 million by May 2022, according to the US embassy in Eritrea.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Novel Coronavirus Information Center . Elsevier . Elsevier Connect. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200130171622/https://www.elsevier.com/connect/coronavirus-information-center. 30 January 2020. 15 March 2020.
  2. Reynolds . Matt . What is coronavirus and how close is it to becoming a pandemic? . 4 March 2020 . Wired UK. 5 March 2020 . 1357-0978. https://web.archive.org/web/20200305104806/https://www.wired.co.uk/article/china-coronavirus. 5 March 2020. live.
  3. Web site: Crunching the numbers for coronavirus . Imperial News. 13 March 2020 . 15 March 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200319084913/https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/196137/crunching-numbers-coronavirus/. 19 March 2020. live.
  4. Web site: High consequence infectious diseases (HCID); Guidance and information about high consequence infectious diseases and their management in England . GOV.UK . en. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200303051938/https://www.gov.uk/guidance/high-consequence-infectious-diseases-hcid. 3 March 2020. 17 March 2020.
  5. Web site: World Federation Of Societies of Anaesthesiologists – Coronavirus . www.wfsahq.org. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200312233527/https://www.wfsahq.org/resources/coronavirus. 12 March 2020. 15 March 2020.
  6. Web site: Angola, Eritrea, Uganda confirm first cases as coronavirus spreads in Africa. . National Post . Obulutsa . George . Reuters . 21 March 2020 . 22 March 2020.
  7. News: Eritrea Confirms First Coronavirus Case, in Arrival From Norway . 22 March 2020 . The New York Times . 21 March 2020.
  8. Web site: Mafotsing. Line. 2020-05-14. Covid-19 and Eritrea's Response. 2020-06-05. Kujenga Amani. en-US.
  9. Web site: إريتريا تسجل إصابتين جديدتين بفيروس كورونا. 2020-04-09. العين الإخبارية. ar. 2020-04-11.
  10. Web site: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation report 102. 6. 2020-05-01. World Health Organization. 2020-07-03.
  11. News: Eritrea officially virus-free with 100% recoveries, zero deaths . . 15 May 2020 . 15 May 2020 .
  12. Web site: Announcement from the Ministry of Health . 2020-06-14 . www.shabait.com . 14 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200614235039/http://www.shabait.com/news/local-news/30690-announcement-from-the-ministry-of-health . dead .
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  14. Web site: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation report 194. World Health Organization. 2 August 2020. 6. 1 August 2020.
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  16. Web site: COVID-19 situation report for the WHO African Region, 30 September 2020. External situation report 31. World Health Organization. 2 October 2020. 4. 30 September 2020.
  17. Web site: Announcement from the Ministry of Health. Ministry of Information. 1 November 2020. 1. 31 October 2020.
  18. Web site: Outbreak brief 46: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Africa CDC. 2 December 2020. 3. 1 December 2020.
  19. Web site: Eritrea's confirmed COVID-19 cases hit 1,320. 2021-01-04. News Ghana. 1 January 2021.
  20. Web site: Announcement from the Ministry of Health. 2020-12-27. Eritrea Ministry of Information. 22 December 2020 . en-US.
  21. Web site: COVID-19 weekly epidemiological update. 2021-02-03. World Health Organization. 2 February 2021.
  22. Web site: Outbreak brief 59: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Africa CDC. 3 March 2021. 3. 2 March 2021.
  23. Web site: Announcement from the Ministry of Health. Ministry of Information. 1 April 2021. 31 March 2021.
  24. Web site: Announcement from the Ministry of Health. Ministry of Information. 4 May 2021. 3 May 2021.
  25. Web site: Announcement from the Ministry of Health. Ministry of Information. 3 June 2021. 31 May 2021.
  26. Web site: Announcement from the Ministry of Health. Ministry of Information. 6 July 2021. 30 June 2021.
  27. Web site: Weekly bulletin on outbreaks and other emergencies. World Health Organization. 4 August 2021. 1 August 2021. 4.
  28. Web site: COVID-19 situation report for WHO Africa Region. NIHR global health research unit tackling infections to benefit Africa at the University of Edinburgh. 5 September 2021. 2 September 2021. 23.
  29. Web site: Announcement from the Ministry of Health. Ministry of Information. 11 October 2021. 30 September 2021.
  30. Web site: Weekly bulletin on outbreaks and other emergencies. World Health Organization. 2 November 2021. 31 October 2021. 6.
  31. Web site: Announcement from the Ministry of Health. Ministry of Information. 1 December 2021. 30 November 2021.
  32. Web site: Announcement from the Ministry of Health. Ministry of Information. 3 January 2022. 31 December 2021.
  33. Cabore. Joseph Waogodo. Karamagi. Humphrey Cyprian. Kipruto. Hillary Kipchumba. Mungatu. Joseph Kyalo. Asamani. James Avoka. Droti. Benson. Titi-ofei. Regina. Seydi. Aminata Binetou Wahebine. Kidane. Solyana Ngusbrhan. Balde. Thierno. Gueye. Abdou Salam. Makubalo. Lindiwe. Moeti. Matshidiso R. COVID-19 in the 47 countries of the WHO African region: a modelling analysis of past trends and future patterns. The Lancet Global Health. 1 June 2022. 10 . 8 . e1099–e1114. 10.1016/S2214-109X(22)00233-9. 35659911 . 9159735 . 2 June 2022.
  34. Web site: Announcement from the Ministry of Health. Ministry of Information. 1 February 2022. 31 January 2022.
  35. Web site: Announcement from the Ministry of Health. Ministry of Information. 4 March 2022. 28 February 2022.
  36. Web site: Announcement from the Ministry of Health. Ministry of Information. 3 April 2022. 1 April 2022.
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  39. Web site: Announcement from the Ministry of Health. Ministry of Health. Shabait. 4 July 2022. 30 June 2022.
  40. Web site: Announcement from the Ministry of Health. Ministry of Health. Shabait. 1 August 2022. 31 July 2022.
  41. Web site: Announcement from the Ministry of Health. Ministry of Health. Shabait. 13 September 2022. 1 September 2022.
  42. Web site: Announcement from the Ministry of Health. Ministry of Health. Shabait. 5 October 2022. 3 October 2022.
  43. Web site: Announcement from the Ministry of Health. Ministry of Health. Shabait. 7 November 2022. 31 October 2022.
  44. Web site: Coronavirus-free Eritrea bans all internal, external travel. AfricanNews. 16 March 2020. 17 March 2020.
  45. https://web.archive.org/web/20200617135342/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-06/17/c_139144328.htm Eritrea's confirmed COVID-19 cases pass 100-mark
  46. Web site: Smith . Nicola . Lee . Junho . Brown . Will . Dictatorships and misinformation: why the world's last vaccine holdouts have shunned Covid shots . The Telegraph . 20 May 2022.
  47. Web site: North Korea Launches Mass Covid-19 Vaccination Campaign . Yoon . Dasl . 2022-09-28 . 2022-09-28 . en-US . Wall Street Journal.