COVID-19 pandemic in Vanuatu

The COVID-19 pandemic in Vanuatu 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 Vanuatu on 11 November 2020.[1]

COVID-19 pandemic in Vanuatu
DiseaseCOVID-19
Virus strainSARS-CoV-2
LocationVanuatu
First outbreakWuhan, Hubei, China
Arrival date11 November 2020[1]
(2 months, 3 weeks and 4 days ago)
Confirmed cases1[1]
Suspected cases‡0
Recovered1
Deaths
0
‡Suspected cases have not been confirmed by laboratory tests as being due to this strain, although some other strains may have been ruled out.

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 ratio 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 16 March 2020, travel restrictions and quarantine measures were put in place for those entering Vanuatu.[7] On 22 March, Vanuatu's health authorities confirmed that tests for a resort worker with a suspected case of coronavirus had returned negative.[8] On 26 March President Tallis Obed Moses declared a state of emergency in the country.[9] A tourist on a cruise ship visiting the island of Aneityum had tested positive for the virus, prompting a lockdown on the island. Blood samples from locals on the island were also sent to New Caledonia for testing.[9]

November 2020

On 11 November, Vanuatu confirmed its first asymptomatic case, resulting from a man who had traveled to the islands from the United States via Sydney and Auckland. The man had arrived on Vanuatu on 4 November and undergone managed isolation and quarantine with no symptoms. He tested positive on 10 November.[1]

December 2020

On 2 December, Vanuatu confirmed that the man who tested positive earlier on November has tested negative for COVID-19.[10]

References
  1. "Vanuatu has its first Covid-19 case". Radio New Zealand. 11 November 2020. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  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. "Pacific nations take further measures against coronavirus". Radio New Zealand. 16 March 2020. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  8. "Covid-19 tests in Samoa, Vanuatu come back negative". Radio New Zealand. 22 March 2020. Archived from the original on 24 March 2020. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  9. "Vanuatu declares State of Emergency over Covid-19". Radio New Zealand. 26 March 2020. Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  10. "Vanuatu PM declares Covid contained". RNZ. 2 December 2020. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
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