ASMARA – Eritrea’s Health ministry has confirmed two more Coronavirus cases in the country.
“The two passengers returned home with Air Arabia Airlines on Monday 23 March tested positive, bringing the total number of patients in the country diagnosed with COVID-19 to six,” the ministry said through a statement on Thursday. The patients are receiving necessary treatment and their condition remains satisfactory, the ministry said.
The government of Eritrea has been and continues to take, several important measures to contain and fully stop the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic. In this respect, the Ministry of Health issued new directives that include shutting down of all schools – from Kindergarten to colleges – starting Friday, March 27.
Second, public transport vehicles – buses, minibuses and taxis – in all the cities will stop services from 6 am on Friday. And other than those who may be granted a special permit by the compete authority in urgent circumstances, all public transport services from one region to another, or from one city to another, will likewise be stopped from Friday.
The guidelines will remain effective until further notice. The government further urged every citizen to act with “due diligence and responsibility to ensure his/her own good health and safety as well as those of his/her family”.
Eritrea announced its first confirmed case of a Coronavirus patient on March 22. The patient arrived at Asmara International Airport from Norway with Fly Dubai at 7am on that day. “The 39-year old patient is an Eritrean national with permanent residence in Norway,” Information Minister Yemane Meskel.
On Thursday, the Ministry of Health confirmed three Eritrean passengers who arrived from Dubai last Saturday had been diagnosed positive for COVID-19. Consequently, international passenger flights were banned. “All commercial passenger flights to and from Eritrea not allowed from midnight today, March 25,” Meskel said.
