COVID-19 pandemic in Djibouti

The COVID-19 pandemic in Djibouti is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus spread to Djibouti in March 2020. It is a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).[2]

COVID-19 pandemic in Djibouti
DiseaseCOVID-19
Virus strainSARS-CoV-2
LocationDjibouti
First outbreakWuhan, Hubei, China
Index caseDjibouti
Arrival date14 March 2020
(3 months and 2 weeks)
Confirmed cases4,635 (as of 25 June)[1]
Active cases314 (as of 25 June)
Recovered4,269 (as of 25 June)[1]
Deaths
52 (as of 25 June)[1]

Background

Several major world powers have a military presence in Djibouti, including China, France, Italy, Japan, and the United States. The country's first confirmed case was a member of the Spanish military, and the entire unit was quarantined at the French military base in Djibouti.[3]

Timeline

March 2020

On 18 March, the first COVID-19 case in Djibouti was confirmed, in a member of the Spanish Special Forces who arrived on 14 March for Operation Atalanta and tested positive on 17 March.[3][4] The infected soldier did not interact with the local population,[5] and Spain announced that the team would be repatriated.[4] A contractor working for the United States Department of Defense at Camp Lemonnier, the largest and only permanent US military base in Djibouti, tested positive for COVID-19 the same month.[6] A total of 30 cases were confirmed by the end of March.[7]

April 2020

On 2 April, the World Bank approved US$5 million in emergency funding for Djibouti as part of the Djibouti COVID-19 Response Project.[8] By 5 April, the number of confirmed cases had rise to 59.[9]

On 9 April, Djibouti recorded its first coronavirus death. There were 140 people infected with COVID-19, while 28 people recovered.[10] On 23 April, the US military in Djibouti declared a public health emergency. By 24 April, Djibouti had the highest prevalence in Africa.[11] A second case in Camp Lemonnier was confirmed in late April,[12] triggering an indefinite lockdown.[13]

May 2020

Government response

On 15 March, Djibouti announced that all commercial passenger flights would be suspended starting 18 March.[3] Trains were also stopped on 20 March.[5] The World Health Organization has provided personal protective equipment to Djibouti.[5] The government announced the closure of all schools and places of worship on March 19 and 22 respectively. A countrywide lockdown was first announced on 23 March and progressively extended till 8 May.[14]

See also

References
  1. Johns Hopkins CSSE. "Coronavirus COVID19 (2019-nCoV)" (ArcGIS). Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  2. "COVID-19 pandemic in Djibouti", Wikipedia, 20 May 2020, retrieved 25 May 2020
  3. "Djibouti confirms first coronavirus case". The East African. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  4. "Covid-19: Spain to repatriate command team from Djibouti after positive coronavirus test | Jane's 360". www.janes.com. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  5. "Djibouti joins global action to prevent COVID-19 as first case is confirmed in the country - Djibouti". ReliefWeb. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  6. "U.S. Army Halts Training Over Coronavirus but Then Changes Its Mind". New York Times. 26 March 2020.
  7. Tobita, Masanori (26 April 2020). "Coronavirus in Djibouti increases risk of China debt trap". Nikkei Asian Review.
  8. "Djibouti: World Bank Approves US$5 Million in Urgent Support of Coronavirus Response". World Bank. 2 April 2020.
  9. "Ministere de la Santé de Djibouti". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  10. "Djibouti says records its first coronavirus death - ministry of health". Reuters. 9 April 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  11. "Coronavirus surges in Djibouti as population ignores measures". Al Jazeera. 28 April 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  12. "U.S. Military's Hub in Africa Fights to Keep the Coronavirus Out". Foreign Policy. 1 May 2020.
  13. "Lockdown at US military base in Djibouti as coronavirus spreads". Rfi. 29 April 2020.
  14. "COVID-19 Information". US Embassy in Djibouti. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
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