COVID-19 pandemic in Vanuatu
| COVID-19 pandemic in Vanuatu | |
|---|---|
| Disease | COVID-19 |
| Virus strain | SARS-CoV-2 |
| Location | Vanuatu |
| First outbreak | Wuhan, Hubei, China |
| Index case | Port Vila |
| Arrival date | 11 November 2020[1] (5 months, 3 weeks and 2 days ago) |
| Confirmed cases | 4[1] |
| Suspected cases‡ | 0 |
| Recovered | 3 |
Deaths | 1[2] |
| ‡Suspected cases have not been confirmed by laboratory tests as being due to this strain, although some other strains may have been ruled out. | |
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]
Background[edit]
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.[3][4]
The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003,[5][6] but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.[7][5]
Timeline[edit]
March 2020[edit]
On 16 March 2020, travel restrictions and quarantine measures were put in place for those entering Vanuatu.[8] On 22 March, Vanuatu's health authorities confirmed that tests for a resort worker with a suspected case of coronavirus had returned negative.[9] On 26 March President Tallis Obed Moses declared a state of emergency in the country.[10] 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.[10]
November 2020[edit]
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[edit]
On 2 December, Vanuatu confirmed that the man who tested positive earlier on November has tested negative for COVID-19.[11]
March 2021[edit]
- On 6 March 2021, Prime Minister Bob Loughman announced two new cases.[12]
- As on 23 March 2021, total number of cases in Vanuatu was 3, with 2 active cases and 1 has recovered.[13]
April 2021[edit]
- As on 1 April 2021, total number of cases in Vanuatu was 3, with 2 active cases and 1 recovery.[13]
- On 19 April 2021, Prime minister Bob Loughman confirmed a new positive case on a deceased Filipino fisherman, from a UK-flagged tanker, found on a beach on Efate.[14]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d "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.
- ^ "Vanuatu's main island halts outward travel after Covid discovery". RNZ. 18 April 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
- ^ Elsevier. "Novel Coronavirus Information Center". Elsevier Connect. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b "Crunching the numbers for coronavirus". Imperial News. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "World Federation Of Societies of Anaesthesiologists – Coronavirus". www.wfsahq.org. Archived from the original on 12 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ a b "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.
- ^ "Vanuatu PM declares Covid contained". RNZ. 2 December 2020. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
- ^ "Vanuatu has two more Covid-19 cases in quarantine". RNZ. 6 March 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
- ^ a b "Reported Cases and Deaths by Country, Territory, or Conveyance". Worldometer. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ^ "Vanuatu's main island halts outward travel after Covid discovery". RNZ. 18 April 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
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