Covid-19: Mozambique raises alert level and reinforces prevention measures

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Covid-19: Mozambique raises alert level and reinforces prevention measures

10:47 CAT | 16 Mar 2020

Photo: TVM

Mozambique yesterday raised the country’s state of alert and reinforced measures to prevent the Covid-19 outbreak, President of the Republic Filipe Nyusi has announced.

Health services have tested “ten suspected cases coming from affected regions,” he said in an address to the nation. But, “in our country, so far, no [Covid-19] case has been confirmed”.

“Taking into account the high risk of transmission of the disease in different countries, the Government of Mozambique decided to raise the alert level by consolidating previously implemented measures and introducing additional measures,” he detailed.

Nyusi announced the implementation of “mandatory 14-day quarantine for all citizens arriving from countries with active transmission, regardless of whether they are Mozambicans or not”.

“Isolation of all cases with severe symptoms” is to be implemented, and “screening of all citizens, at the same level, at the country’s entry points”.

The head of state also announced the suspension of “all state travel outside the country”.

The Mozambican government will also suspend “the organisation of, and participation in, events of all types with more than 300 people, and discourage them from taking place in closed spaces and without adequate ventilation”.

Filipe Nyusi called for public and private institutions to increase the “implementation of measures” to prevent Covid-19 and called for “everyone’s effort” so that the new coronavirus “has difficulty reaching Mozambique”.

Up until last Friday (13-03), South Africa and eSwatini were the only countries bordering Mozambique with confirmed Covid-19 cases, with a total of 28 in South Africa and one in eSwatini, according to health officials.

The new coronavirus responsible for the Covid-19 pandemic was detected in December in China, and has already caused more than 5,500 deaths worldwide.

The number of infected people now exceeds 143,000 people, with cases registered across more than 135 countries and territories, including Portugal, which has 169 confirmed cases.

Source: Lusa