COVID-19 pandemic in Vanuatu

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COVID-19 pandemic in Vanuatu
DiseaseCOVID-19
Virus strainSARS-CoV-2
LocationVanuatu
First outbreakWuhan, China
Index casePort Vila
Arrival date11 November 2020[1]
(1 year, 4 months, 1 week and 5 days ago)
Confirmed cases95[1][2]
Recovered12
Deaths
1[3]
Government website
https://covid19.gov.vu/

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, Hubei Province, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.[4][5]

The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003,[6][7] but the transmission has been substantially greater, with a significant total death toll.[8][6]

Timeline[edit]

Cases
Cases
Deaths
Deaths

March 2020[edit]

On 16 March 2020, travel restrictions and quarantine measures were put in place for those entering Vanuatu.[9] On 22 March, Vanuatu's health authorities confirmed that tests for a resort worker with a suspected case of coronavirus had returned negative.[10] On 26 March President Tallis Obed Moses declared a state of emergency in the country.[11] 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.[11]

November 2020[edit]

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

December 2020[edit]

On 2 December 2020, Vanuatu confirmed that the man who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in November has since tested negative.[12]

March 2021[edit]

  • On 6 March 2021, Prime Minister Bob Loughman announced two new cases.[13]
  • As of 23 March 2021, there were 3 total cases in Vanuatu, with 2 active cases and 1 recovery.[14]

April 2021[edit]

  • As of 1 April 2021, there were 3 total cases in Vanuatu, with 2 active cases and 1 recovery.[14]
  • On 19 April 2021, Prime minister Bob Loughman confirmed a new positive case; the body of a Filipino sailor who had been working aboard a British-flagged tanker had washed up on the shores of Port Vila, with the sailor testing positive for COVID-19 post-mortem.[15] It has not been confirmed whether the sailor died from COVID or from another cause.

May 2021[edit]

October to December 2021[edit]

  • As of 10 October 2021, there has been a total of 4 COVID-19 cases in Vanuatu, with no active cases, 3 recoveries, and 1 fatality.[14] No new cases had been reported over the previous four months.
  • On 24 October 2021, two people who had arrived in Port Vila from Nouméa, New Caledonia tested positive for COVID-19 while in quarantine, two days after their arrival.[17]
  • As of 11 November 2021, there were 6 total cases in Vanuatu, with 2 active cases, 3 recoveries, and 1 fatality.[14]
  • As of 29 December 2021, there were 7 total cases in Vanuatu, with no active cases, 6 recoveries, and 1 death.[14]

January to March 2022[edit]

  • By 12 February 2022, there were 7 total cases in Vanuatu, with no active cases, 6 recoveries, and 1 death.[14] There hadn't been even a single new case in the island nation in the previous couple of months.
  • By 25 February 2022, 11 more people had tested positive for COVID. This brought the total number of cases in Vanuatu to 18, with 11 active cases, 6 recoveries, and 1 death.[14]
  • By 10 March 2022, the total number of COVID cases had spiked to 95, with 82 active cases, 12 recoveries, and 1 death.[14]
  • By 11 March 2022, the total number of COVID cases had spiked further to 157, with 143 active cases, 13 recoveries, and 1 death.[14]
  • By 15 March 2022, there had been 341 COVID cases, with 310 active cases, 30 recoveries, and 1 death.[14]
  • As of 19 March 2022, the total number of COVID cases is 594, with 534 active cases, 59 recoveries, and 1 death.[14]

Statistics[edit]

New cases per day[edit]

Deaths per day[edit]

Cases by provinces[edit]

Positives cases by province
Province Cases References
Shefa 86 [18]
Sanma 9
2/6 95

Vaccination[edit]

On 2 June 2021, Vanuatu launched its COVID-19 vaccine roll-out campaign. On 27 July 2021, 20,000 AstraZeneca vaccines were received in Vanuatu through a bilateral arrangement between the governments of the Republic of Vanuatu and Australia, a further 24,000 AstraZeneca doses have been provided by COVAX, and 20,000 Sinopharm BIBP vaccine doses received from the Chinese Government.[19]

The total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered between 2 June 2021 and 8 August 2021 was 31,028. These have been prioritised to health workers, front line workers (e.g. border workers, quarantine facility staff, public transport drivers), the elderly (55 and over), and 4,314 people aged 35 years and over with known underlying medical conditions. Those who have received both of the two recommended doses of either Sinopharm or AstraZeneca vaccines are considered fully vaccinated. As of 8 August, 1,721 people in Vanuatu are considered fully vaccinated (0.6% of the population).[19]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ "Vanuatu: WHO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Dashboard With Vaccination Data". covid19.who.int. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  3. ^ "Vanuatu's main island halts outward travel after Covid discovery". RNZ. 18 April 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  4. ^ Elsevier. "Novel Coronavirus Information Center". Elsevier Connect. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ a b "Crunching the numbers for coronavirus". Imperial News. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  7. ^ "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.
  8. ^ "World Federation Of Societies of Anaesthesiologists – Coronavirus". www.wfsahq.org. Archived from the original on 12 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  9. ^ "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.
  10. ^ "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.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ "Vanuatu PM declares Covid contained". RNZ. 2 December 2020. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  13. ^ "Vanuatu has two more Covid-19 cases in quarantine". RNZ. 6 March 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Reported Cases and Deaths by Country, Territory, or Conveyance". Worldometer. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  15. ^ "Vanuatu's main island halts outward travel after Covid discovery". RNZ. 18 April 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  16. ^ "Vanuatu receives 24,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX Facility". www.who.int. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  17. ^ "Vanuatu Ministry of Health COVID-19 Updates - COVID-19 cases in quarantine: Alert Level 1". covid19.gov.vu. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  18. ^ "Update on COVID-19 situation in Vanuatu, as of 9 March 2022 (12pm midday)". www.facebook.com. 9 March 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  19. ^ a b "Vanuatu Situation Report #47 – 10 August 2021" (PDF). Ministry of Health. 10 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
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