COVID-19 pandemic in Lesotho

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached Lesotho on 13 May 2020.[2]

COVID-19 pandemic in Lesotho
DiseaseCOVID-19
Virus strainSARS-CoV-2
LocationLesotho
First outbreakWuhan, Hubei, China
30°35′14″N 114°17′17″E
Arrival date13 May 2020
(1 month and 2 weeks)
Confirmed cases24 (as of 27 June)[1]
Active cases20 (as of 27 June)
Recovered4 (as of 27 June)[1]
Deaths
0 (as of 27 June)[1]

Prior to this, Lesotho was the last country in Africa to have no reported COVID-19 cases during the global pandemic.[3][4]

The country did not have the ability to test for the virus,[5] and so, in order to prevent the spread of the virus the government closed its border with South Africa.[6] On 18 March, the government declared a national emergency despite having no confirmed cases, and closed schools until 17 April, but allowed school meals to continue. Arriving travellers were to be quarantined for 14 days upon arrival.[5] Prime Minister Thomas Thabane announced a three-week lock down from midnight 29 March.[7] Lesotho began sending its samples to South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases for testing.[8] Lesotho began lifting some aspects of the lockdown from 5 May.[9]

Lesotho confirmed its second case on 22 May.[10]

Two additional cases were reported on the 3 June. Both had travelled from Cape Town.[11]

On 22 June, eight additional cases were reported, seven of whom had travelled from South Africa, and one from Zimbabwe.[12]

See also

References
  1. "Lesotho Coronavirus". www.worldometers.info. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  2. "LESOTHO RECORDS FIRST COVID-19 CASE". Eyewitness News. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  3. Silence Charumbira in Maseru. "Lesotho records first coronavirus case a week after lifting lockdown | World news". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  4. "Coronavirus: All countries in Africa now have confirmed coronavirus after Lesotho is last with infection | World News". Sky News. 22 March 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  5. Ngatane, Nthakoana. "Lesotho declares national emergency over COVID-19 outbreak". ewn.co.za. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  6. "Covid-19: Lesotho seals borders amid infection fears while SA tourism suffers". IOL. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  7. "Covid-19: Lesotho seals borders amid infection fears while SA tourism suffers". Sowetan Live. 26 March 2020. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  8. "COVID-19 EXCLUSIVE: Lesotho's Majoro pleads with Basotho not to return home". Eyewitness News. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  9. "Lesotho Eases Lockdown Restrictions With No Coronavirus Cases". Bloomberg. 5 May 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  10. Response, Lesotho Covid (22 May 2020). "Second case confirmedpic.twitter.com/4vMuh5Snb6". @LResponse. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  11. "Two more cases tests positive while two recovers". Twitter.
  12. "Lesotho records seven SA-linked Covid-19 cases". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
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