COVID-19 pandemic in Djibouti

COVID-19 pandemic in Djibouti
DiseaseCOVID-19
Virus strainSARS-CoV-2
LocationDjibouti
First outbreakWuhan, Hubei, China
Index caseDjibouti
Arrival date14 March 2020
(6 years, 3 months, 2 weeks and 1 day)
Confirmed cases1,268 (As of 13 May)[1][2]
Active cases365 (As of 13 May)
Recovered900 (As of 13 May)[1]
Deaths
3 (As of 13 May)[1]

The COVID-19 pandemic spread to Djibouti in March 2020. It is a new infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

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]

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.[5] A total of 30 cases were confirmed by the end of March.[6]

On 2 April, the World Bank approved US$5 million in emergency funding for Djibouti as part of the Djibouti COVID-19 Response Project.[7]

By 5 April, the number of confirmed cases had risen to 59.[8]

On 9 April, Djibouti recorded its first coronavirus death. There were 140 people infected with COVID-19, while 28 people recovered.[9]

On 23 April, the US military in Djibouti declared a public health emergency.

A second case in Camp Lemonnier was confirmed in late April,[10] triggering a permanent lockdown.[11]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Johns Hopkins CSSE. "Coronavirus COVID19 (2019-nCoV)" (ArcGIS). Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  2. ↑ "Ministere de la Santé de Djibouti". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2020-05-13.
  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. ↑ "U.S. Army Halts Training Over Coronavirus but Then Changes Its Mind". New York Times. 26 March 2020.
  6. ↑ Tobita, Masanori (26 April 2020). "Coronavirus in Djibouti increases risk of China debt trap". Nikkei Asian Review.
  7. ↑ "Djibouti: World Bank Approves US$5 Million in Urgent Support of Coronavirus Response". World Bank. 2 April 2020.
  8. ↑ "Ministere de la Santé de Djibouti". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  9. ↑ "Djibouti says records its first coronavirus death - ministry of health". Reuters. 2020-04-09. Retrieved 2020-04-11.
  10. ↑ "U.S. Military's Hub in Africa Fights to Keep the Coronavirus Out". Foreign Policy. 1 May 2020.
  11. ↑ "Lockdown at US military base in Djibouti as coronavirus spreads". Rfi. 29 April 2020.