Afghanistan Flash Update: Daily Brief: COVID-19, No. 31 (9 April 2020)

Key Messages:

• People confirmed to have COVID-19: 484 (Source: Afghanistan Ministry of Public Health - MoPH)

• Deaths from COVID-19: 15

• Recovered: 32

• Tests completed: 3,247

Key concerns: Border crossing areas, measured lockdowns, testing capacity, protective equipment for frontline workers, commodity prices, floods, plans for camp and camp-like quarantine sites, messaging and rumour management, international air services

Situation Overview:

According to Johns Hopkins University data, as of 9 April, 1.5m cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed and 89,915 deaths have been reported across 184 countries and territories. 9 April marks 100 days since WHO was notified of the first cases of “pneumonia with unknown cause” in China. The COVID-19 pandemic is straining health systems worldwide.

WHO has stressed that to defeat the virus, countries need to use aggressive and comprehensive package of measures: find, test, isolate and treat every case, and trace every contact. WHO are particularly concerned with protecting the world’s poorest and most vulnerable. In a bid to increase access to quality-assured, accurate tests for COVID-19, on 7 April, WHO gave ‘emergency use listing’ (EUL) for the first two diagnostic tests. The EUL procedure was established to expedite the availability of diagnostics needed in public health emergency situations. To date, WHO has shipped more than 2m items of personal protective equipment to 133 countries, and is preparing to ship another 2m items in the coming weeks. On 5 April, the Secretary-General urged governments to make the prevention and redress of violence against women a key part of their national response plans for COVID-19 after reports of an alarming global rise in domestic violence cases since the start of the outbreak. The Secretary-General issued a statement on 8 April. He described the pandemic as “one of the most dangerous challenges this world has faced in our lifetime” while stressing that supporting WHO “is absolutely critical to the world’s efforts to win the war against COVID-19.” In Afghanistan, MoPH data shows that 484 people across 25 provinces are confirmed to have the virus and 15 people have now died. 32 people have recovered from the virus. The case fatality rate is 3.4 per cent. More people have now acquired the virus inside Afghanistan than have brought it from other affected countries. Cases are expected to increase rapidly over the weeks ahead as community transmission escalates, creating grave implications for Afghanistan’s economy and people’s well-being. Hirat is still the most affected part of the country. To date, MoPH reported that 3,247 tests have been conducted. To scale-up testing efforts, WHO has supported the Government to establish two testing facilities in Kabul, two in Hirat, one in Mazar-e-Sharif, one in Kandahar and one in Nangarhar province with more to come. Altogether, the Government plans to expand to 15 testing facilities across the country within the month. Poor access to health care, limited access to water and sanitation, widespread food insecurity and high rates of malnutrition are all additional complicating factors for Afghanistan.
There has been a surge in people returning to Afghanistan across the border from Pakistan over the past four days. An estimated 65,000 people crossed into Afghanistan at the Torkham and Chaman-Spin Boldak border crossings since the border was re-opened on 6 April – many without undergoing formal document checking/registration and health screening.

However, the process has reportedly been more orderly since 8 April compared to the first two days, with health screening procedures now being followed, although gaps still remain. The situation at both border crossings remains unpredictable but the influx of returnees significantly decreased on 9 April – the final day of the border opening. Initial plans to quarantine all returnees from Pakistan for up to 21 days have now been revised due to the scale of the returns. Instead, returnees are being instructed to self-quarantine in their respective homes. Humanitarian partners stress that quarantine and isolation should only be conducted for people presenting with symptoms of COVID-19 and no more than one person should be housed in one room or tent. Awareness-raising and sensitisation on the virus are also urgently needed for returnees upon their arrival.

Responding to the Government of Afghanistan’s request, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on 8 April that Pakistan would facilitate the movement of cargo trucks and containers into Afghanistan through the Torkham and Chaman border crossing points three days per week (on Monday, Wednesday and Friday) from 10 April onwards.