COVID-19 pandemic in Lesotho

COVID-19 pandemic in Lesotho
DiseaseCOVID-19
Virus strainSARS-CoV-2
LocationLesotho
First outbreakWuhan, Hubei, China (suspected)
30°35′14″N 114°17′17″E / 30.58722°N 114.28806°E / 30.58722; 114.28806
Arrival date13 May 2020
(4 years, 6 months, 1 week and 6 days)
Confirmed cases576 [1] (as of 29 July)
Recovered141 [1] (as of 29 July)
Deaths
13 [1] (as of 29 July)
Government website
About Coronavirus (COVID – 19)

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached Lesotho on 13 May 2020.[2]

Until May 2020, Lesotho was the last country in Africa to have no reported coronavirus disease 2019 cases during the global pandemic.[3][4]

The country did not have the ability to test for the virus,[5] and so, in order to prevent the spread of the virus the government closed its border with South Africa.[6]

On 18 March, the government declared a national emergency despite having no confirmed cases, and closed schools until 17 April (but allowed school meals to continue).

Arriving travelers were to be quarantined for 14 days upon arrival.[5] Prime Minister Thomas Thabane announced a three-week lock down from midnight 29 March.[7]

Lesotho began sending its samples to South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases for testing.[8] Lesotho began lifting some aspects of the lockdown on 5 May.[9]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Lesotho Coronavirus: 1 Cases and 0 Deaths - Worldometer". www.worldometers.info. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  2. ↑ "LESOTHO RECORDS FIRST COVID-19 CASE". Eyewitness News. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  3. ↑ Silence Charumbira in Maseru. "Lesotho records first coronavirus case a week after lifting lockdown | World news". The Guardian. Retrieved 2020-05-13.
  4. ↑ "Coronavirus: All countries in Africa now have confirmed coronavirus after Lesotho is last with infection | World News". Sky News. 2019-03-22. Retrieved 2020-05-13.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Ngatane, Nthakoana. "Lesotho declares national emergency over COVID-19 outbreak". ewn.co.za. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  6. ↑ "Covid-19: Lesotho seals borders amid infection fears while SA tourism suffers". IOL. 2020-03-13. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  7. ↑ "Covid-19: Lesotho seals borders amid infection fears while SA tourism suffers". Sowetan Live. 2020-03-26. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
  8. ↑ "COVID-19 EXCLUSIVE: Lesotho's Majoro pleads with Basotho not to return home". Eyewitness News. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  9. ↑ "Lesotho Eases Lockdown Restrictions With No Coronavirus Cases". Bloomberg. 5 May 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2020.