COVID-19 pandemic in Mauritania

On 13 March, the first case was confirmed, with the case being placed in isolation.[7]

The case is an expatriate from a yet to be disclosed country, in the Mauritanian capital of Nouakchott.[8] After test results came in positive, charter flights to France were cancelled.

On 18 March, the Mauritanian Minister of Health announced the discovery of a second positive coronavirus case on a foreign female employee, working at a house of a couple of expatriates, the woman arrived 10 days prior the discovery.[9]

A third coronavirus case was declared on 26 March for a 74-year-old man, a Mauritanian citizen who had arrived in Mauritania on 15 March from France via Air France.[10]

The country recorded its first death on 30 March 2020.[11]

On 18 April, the last remaining active case recovered. On that date, there had been 7 confirmed cases in the country, 6 of whom had recovered, and one of whom had died, making Mauritania temporarily one of few affected countries in the world to become free of COVID-19.[12]

On 29 April, a Senegalese citizen tested positive. The case is a 68-year woman living in the state of Nouakchott.[13]

On 6 May, with only one active case, restrictions were partially eased.[14] By the end of May, confirmed active cases had increased to 480.