COVID-19 pandemic in Eritrea

The COVID-19 pandemic in Eritrea is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus was confirmed to have reached Eritrea on 21 March 2020. Eritrea is one of the few opaque countries to have reported the pandemic in contrast to Turkmenistan and North Korea.

COVID-19 pandemic in Eritrea
DiseaseCOVID-19
Virus strainSARS-CoV-2
LocationEritrea
First outbreakWuhan, Hubei, China
Index caseAsmara
Arrival date21 March 2020
Confirmed cases2,135 (as of 30 January)[1]
Active cases534 (as of 30 January)
Recovered1,594 (as of 30 January)
Deaths
7 (as of 30 January)

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.[2][3]

The case fatality rate for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003,[4][5] but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.[6][4]

Timeline

March 2020

On 21 March, the first case in Eritrea was confirmed in Asmara; the index case was an Eritrean national arriving from Norway.[7][8][9]

There were 15 confirmed cases in March. All 15 remained active at the end of the month.

April 2020

Eritrea announced a 21-day lockdown beginning April 2.[9] That lockdown was subsequently extended further.[9]

On 9 April, Eritrea recorded two new cases, two Eritreans aged 30 and 62, both of whom had returned to the country before the flight ban, thus bringing the country's total infections to 33.[10]

The total number of confirmed cases reached 39 in April, 24 more than in March. 26 of the 39 patients recovered in April, leaving 13 active cases at the end of the month.[11]

May 2020

On 15 May, the Eritrean Health Ministry confirmed that the 39th and final case of COVID-19 in the country had fully recovered.[12] For the rest of the month there were no active cases.

June 2020

On 13 June, a further 31 positive cases were confirmed, 30 of whom had returned from Sudan, and one from Ethiopia.[13] During the month there were 164 positive cases, raising the total number of confirmed cases since the start of the outbreak to 203. 53 patients recovered in June, leaving 150 active cases at the end of the month.[14]

July 2020

In July there were 76 new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 279. The number of recovered patients grew by 172 to 225, leaving 54 active cases at the end of the month (64% fewer than at the end of June).[15]

August 2020

In August there were 39 new confirmed cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 318. The number of recovered patients increased by 59 to 284, leaving 34 active cases at the end of the month (a decrease by 37% from the end of July).[16]

September 2020

There were 57 new cases in September, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 375. The number of recovered patients increased by 57 to 341, leaving the same number of active cases as at the end of August.[17]

October 2020

There were 88 new cases in October, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 463. The number of recovered patients increased by 71 to 412, leaving 51 active cases at the end of the month, an increase of 50% from August and September.[18]

November 2020

There were 114 new cases in November, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 577. The number of recovered patients increased by 86 to 498, leaving 79 active cases at the end of the month.[19]

December 2020

The country announced its first COVID-19-related death on 22 December,[20] followed by two more deaths on 31 December. The number of confirmed cases more than doubled to 1320. The number of recovered patients increased to 676, leaving 641 active cases at the end of the month.[21]

January 2021

There were 815 new cases in January, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 2135. The death toll rose to 7. The number of recovered patients increased to 1594, leaving 534 active cases at the end of the month.[22]

Preventive measures

As a precautionary measure, the government has urged people not to travel to or from the country, and as of 11 March 2020, was quarantining any incoming travellers who have recently been in Iran, Italy, China, or South Korea.[23][9]

The government put in guidelines forbidding overcharging on goods during the lockdown.[9] Enforcement of these measured has been reported in jurisdictions like Massawa.[9]

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 were 3,405 people still in quarantine across 47 quarantine centers in the country.[24]

Diaspora response

Diaspora communities have been sending large volumes of money to support relief efforts in the country.[9] For example, Eritrean Americans have sent at least US$4 million, according to the US embassy in Eritrea.[9]

See also

References
  1. "Eritrea Coronavirus - Worldometer". www.worldometers.info. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  2. Elsevier. "Novel Coronavirus Information Center". Elsevier Connect. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  3. Reynolds, Matt (4 March 2020). "What is coronavirus and how close is it to becoming a pandemic?". Wired UK. ISSN 1357-0978. Archived from the original on 5 March 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  4. "Crunching the numbers for coronavirus". Imperial News. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  5. "High consequence infectious diseases (HCID); Guidance and information about high consequence infectious diseases and their management in England". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 3 March 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  6. "World Federation Of Societies of Anaesthesiologists – Coronavirus". www.wfsahq.org. Archived from the original on 12 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  7. Obulutsa, George (21 March 2020). "Angola, Eritrea, Uganda confirm first cases as coronavirus spreads in Africa". National Post. Reuters. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  8. "Eritrea Confirms First Coronavirus Case, in Arrival From Norway". The New York Times. 21 March 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  9. Mafotsing, Line (14 May 2020). "Covid-19 and Eritrea's Response". Kujenga Amani. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  10. "إريتريا تسجل إصابتين جديدتين بفيروس كورونا". العين الإخبارية (in Arabic). 9 April 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  11. "Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation report 102" (PDF). World Health Organization. 1 May 2020. p. 6. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  12. "Eritrea officially virus-free with 100% recoveries, zero deaths". Africanews. 15 May 2020. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  13. "Announcement from the Ministry of Health". www.shabait.com. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  14. "Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation report 163" (PDF). World Health Organization. 1 July 2020. p. 7. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  15. "Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation report 194" (PDF). World Health Organization. 1 August 2020. p. 6. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  16. "Outbreak brief 33: COVID-19 pandemic – 1 September 2020". CDC Africa. 1 September 2020. p. 3. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  17. "COVID-19 situation report for the WHO African Region, 30 September 2020. External situation report 31" (PDF). World Health Organization. 30 September 2020. p. 4. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  18. "Announcement from the Ministry of Health". Ministry of Information. 31 October 2020. p. 1. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  19. "Outbreak brief 46: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic". Africa CDC. 1 December 2020. p. 3. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  20. "Announcement from the Ministry of Health". Eritrea Ministry of Information. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  21. "Eritrea's confirmed COVID-19 cases hit 1,320". News Ghana. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  22. "COVID-19 weekly epidemiological update". World Health Organization. 2 February 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  23. "Coronavirus-free Eritrea bans all internal, external travel". AfricanNews. 16 March 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  24. Eritrea's confirmed COVID-19 cases pass 100-mark Xinhua, 2020-06-17
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