COVID-19 pandemic in Djibouti

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).

COVID-19 pandemic in Djibouti
DiseaseCOVID-19
LocationDjibouti
First outbreakWuhan, Hubei, China
Index caseDjibouti
Arrival date14 March 2020
(3 years, 8 months and 2 days)
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]

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]

COVID-19 Pandemic In Djibouti Media

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 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" (in en). The East African. https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/scienceandhealth/Djibouti-confirms-first-coronavirus-case/3073694-5496666-ptn8nh/index.html. Retrieved 22 March 2020. 
  4. "Covid-19: Spain to repatriate command team from Djibouti after positive coronavirus test | Jane's 360". www.janes.com. https://www.janes.com/article/94953/covid-19-spain-to-repatriate-command-team-from-djibouti-after-positive-coronavirus-test. Retrieved 22 March 2020. 
  5. U.S. Army Halts Training Over Coronavirus but Then Changes Its Mind. 26 March 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/26/us/politics/coronavirus-military-defense-training.html. 
  6. Tobita, Masanori (26 April 2020). Coronavirus in Djibouti increases risk of China debt trap. https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Belt-and-Road/Coronavirus-in-Djibouti-increases-risk-of-China-debt-trap. 
  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" (in en). Reuters. 2020-04-09. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-djibouti-idUSL5N2BX4UF. Retrieved 2020-04-11. 
  10. U.S. Military's Hub in Africa Fights to Keep the Coronavirus Out. 1 May 2020. https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/05/01/coronavirus-us-military-hub-africa-djibouti/. 
  11. Lockdown at US military base in Djibouti as coronavirus spreads. 29 April 2020. http://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20200429-lockdown-at-us-military-base-in-djibouti-as-coronavirus-spreads.