MECC Coronavirus (COVID 19) Weekly Report
SYRIA: COVID-19
Humanitarian Update No. 08
Reporting period: from 8 to 15 May 2020
Coronavirus cases: 48 Deaths: 3 Recovered: 29 [1]
Highlights
The Syrian Ministry of Health (MoH) confirmed 48 people with COVID-19, including 3 people who died and 29 who recovered, as of 14 May.
COVID-19 testing has now commenced at laboratories in Aleppo and Lattakia governorates. Meanwhile, Ministry of Health in collaboration with WHO has expanded laboratory capacities to Homs, Aleppo and Latakia.
As of 11 May, WHO managed to deliver a 30-ton medical shipment by road to Al Qamishli in NES. The delivered supplies contained ICU beds, ventilators, X-Rays machines and other vital medical equipment needed for case management.
As of 8 May, some 2,700 tests have been conducted by the Central Public Health Laboratory (CPHL) in Damascus.
As of 11 May, 563 samples have been collected from Aleppo and Idleb governorates through the Early Warning, Alert and Response Network (EWARN) system, and tested in a laboratory in Idelb.
WHO and cluster partners will establish two additional labs in NWS, as well as continue to increase capacity at Idleb laboratory, in order to expand overall testing in NWS. At least 119 samples have been collected in NES through three surveillance systems (an increase of 22 over the last week).
Updated precautionary measures:
On May 14th, the government team, tasked with taking the measures to confront the coronavirus headed by the Prime Minister decided the following:
o The government team decided to continue the night curfew imposed during Eid al-Fitr period from 7:30 p.m. in the evening until 6 a.m. in the morning of the next day provided that the night curfew times are adjusted immediately after the Eid al-Fitr to become from 6 o'clock in the evening until 6 o'clock in the next morning.
o The team also decided to cancel the curfew imposed among the Syrian provinces as of next Tuesday, May 19th until the 30th of May.
o It was decided to prevent the existence of any manifestations related to the holiday of Eid al-Fitr, especially children's games with all its components, and the halls of games at the level of all administrative units in the governorates. The Ministry of Interior and the local administration were asked to strictly prevent games and impose penalties against violators.
o The government team emphasized continuing to prevent the holding of social events "weddings and condolences" and mandating the police and neighborhood committees in all villages and towns to prevent the organization of any social events.
o The team stressed the continued closure of border crossing points with the possibility of imposing complete curfew according to the changes related to the virus.
o As part of the procedures to restore economic and financial activity, it was agreed to reopen the trading of the Damascus Stock Exchange throughout the week.[2]
In NES, curfew measures have been relaxed since 30 April; all shops are now open between 6am and 3pm and there is an increased number of people on the streets. Local authorities have expressed concern over the socio-economic implications of the lockdown and whether a continued lockdown is sustainable.
Preparedness And Response
Over the reporting period, WHO delivered a further 621,775 Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials to health partners.
UN agencies, specific sectors and partners continue awareness-raising activities during existing programmes. such as, UNHCR which is supporting 112 active hotlines utilizing a bank of 130 questions and answers across 11 themes, and also continued supporting partners in 37 community-led initiatives, UNICEF developed and shared training package to be utilized for 10,800 volunteers, WHO also supported a further five awareness raising sessions in Hama and Lattakia governorates.
WHO is working to identify 2,200 community volunteers through sub-district focal points for delivering individual awareness sessions.
To date, WHO has provided 34 enzyme kits (3,400 reactions), 52 extraction kits (3,000 reactions), 82 screening kits (7,872 reactions) and 11 confirmatory testing kits (1,056 reactions), 14,000 swabs and viral transport medium for sample collection, and five Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machines, in addition to Personal protective equipment (PPE) for laboratory staff.
To date, WHO has delivered over 1.3 million Personal protective equipment (PPE) items across Syria and it delivered 30 tons of medical equipment from Lattakia to Qamishily by road shipment of five trailers on 10 May.
UNICEF distributed 13,605 PPE items and 3,000 bottles of hand sanitizers to NGO and health partners in five governorates. Furthermore, one partner, distributed 8,250 PPE items in Homs, Dar’a, Quneitra, Aleppo and Deir-Ez-Zor. Another partner supported distribution of 1,539 hygiene kits and 8,265 soap bars in Hama and Rural Damascus in partnership with SARC. One partner, in partnership with SARC, also distributed 828 family hygiene kits and 13,420 bars of soap in collective shelters, orphanages, other vulnerable beneficiaries in Hama Governorate.
UN-HABITAT is also working with MoLAE to support improvement of treatment of medical waste in Aleppo, including by providing two temperature medical waste incinerators. Also in Aleppo, a solid waste management project to reduce and prevent infections has been initiated, as has the rehabilitation and replacement of 2,000 meters of damaged sewer pipelines in Dar’a, to improve sanitation and public health conditions for 15,000 people
At the central level, the MoH has announced 14 fully equipped isolation centres are currently running. Over the reporting period, the MoH announced that 3,325 people had been isolated over COVID-19 concerns since February, with 771 still in quarantine for further tests.
During the reporting period, 32 health care workers at Al Waleed Hospital in Homs were trained on COVID-19 case management and four further trainings were conducted for health workers at Al-Hol and Areesha camps, and two private hospitals in NES.
In NES, The COVID-19 outbreak has contributed to an acute shortage of essential supplies, including Personal protective equipment (PPEs), medical equipment (such as ventilators) and certain medicines.that local supply chains have been affected by disruption to cross-border commercial activity, while NES partners also face restrictions on procuring items in KRI for export. Additionally, disruption of commercial and airfreight services due to the closure of airports in Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) until at least 22 May have left partners unable to mobilize pipeline capacity at short notice.
In NWS (as of 10 May), supplies delivered to northern Syria include 10,000 latex gloves, 200 goggles, 10,000 surgical masks, 500 N95 Masks, 900 face shields and 1,400 gowns. Out of these supplies, WHO has equipped one isolation unit and one community-based isolation (CBI) centre with 300 N95 masks, 550 face shields, 925 protective gowns, 130 protective googles, 6,400 examination gloves, and 6,500 surgical masks.[3]
WHO, SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC COVID-19
Lebanon: COVID-19
Humanitarian Update #5
Reporting period: from 12 to 19 May 2020
Coronavirus cases: 931 Deaths: 26 Recovered: 251
Highlights
The Minister of Health visited Deir El Qamar Hospital and warned of the danger of a total corona outbreak. He claimed that as long as the infection is controlled, there is no threat.
The Ministry of Public health declares that number of infected per day have decreased over the course of the complete lockdown.[4]
The World Bank announced in a statement that countries such as Lebanon have succeeded in implementing innovations in teaching during the Corona pandemic.[5]
According to Lebanon 24, negotiations are taking placing between Lebanon and the US over the transfer of a “vaccine” made by the Gilead Sciences company, to Lebanon in July.[6]
Preventive measures
After the infectivity rate of coronavirus had sparked, the government took a decision to reinstate a full lockdown lasting 4 days from May 14 till May 17.
During his visit to the Jizeen Hospital, Minister of Public Health Hamad Hassan urged citizens to comply with the 4-day lockdown until Monday morning (May 18).
The Minister of Public Health Hamad Hassan during the Health Council meeting which he presided stressed how it is important for the expatriates to comply with preventive measures.
The Lebanese authorities referred several people arriving from abroad to the judicial investigation authorities, since they did not abide by preventive measures.[7]
Humanitarian Impact
In a report published by the Food and Agricultural organization, COVID-19 has aggravated the situation of famers to purchase inputs in adequate amounts.
According to Bassam Kantar, a member of Lebanon’s National Human Rights Commission, which includes the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (LNHRC-CPT), stated that his organization have received increased calls from foreign workers to evacuate Lebanon as they are being “treated like slaves” in many households. [8]
According to Social Affairs Minister Ramzi Al-Musharrafiyah “the poverty rate in Lebanon touched seventy percent.”[9]
The head of the Parliamentary Health Committee Assem Araji warned that the number of infected in Lebanon can be much higher.[10]
Preparedness And Response
The Minister of Public Health Hamad Hassan declared that his ministry has begun ‘anti-body test’ to measure local social immunity levels.
The Ministry of Public Health declared that its medical teams have been deployed in various regions as part of a broad campaign to examine contacts of persons suspected of having Corona and to update data regarding the epidemiological reality. [11]
ACTED, in partnership with the National Mental Health Program, increased its operations to enhance the capacity of civil society organizations and local social development centers to provide integrated social and mental health services to vulnerable communities.
ACTED mobilized Civil Society Organizations and Social Development Centers to distribute kits containing sanitation products such as bleach, antiseptic liquid, and soap, to 1000 families.
Reiterating UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ recent appeal for global ceasefire in support of the bigger battle against COVID-19, the head of the UNIFIL chaired a special Tripartite meeting with senior officers from the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) at a UN position in Ras Al Naqoura, to prevent any hostilities between the two armies during these dire times.
Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) and Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to co-launch an immediate response to Coronavirus in the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society distributed food parcels composed of 1000 packages in Al Jalil refugee camp near Baalbek, in cooperation with partner institutions.[12]
The WFP (World Food Program) published a study which will allow the organization and partners to set the minimum expenditure basket for Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
Inter-agency coordination Lebanon published a guide on standards to support a consistent inter-agency understanding and approach for the safe identification and referral of people and communities between services, and to provide a minimum standard for safe and accountable referrals.
WHO Lebanon is currently working on rationalizing and optimizing the essential medicines list for chronic medications in order to improve cost–effectiveness.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) delivered food parcels to 1,300 families in Beirut and Beqaa Governorate in Lebanon.[13]
[1] Worldometers, 14 May
[2] SANA, 14 May
[3] WHO, SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLICCOVID-19 Response Update No.03
[4] Daily Star, May 16, 2020, http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2020/May-16/505946-nine-flights-carrying-expats-to-arrive-saturday.ashx
[5] El Nashra, May 16, 2020, https://www.elnashra.com/news/show/1412975/
[6] Lebanon 24, May 15, 2020, https://www.lebanon24.com/news/lebanon/703795/
[7] Youm 7, May 13, 2020, https://www.youm7.com/story/2020/5/13/
[8] Arab News, May 15, 2020, https://www.arabnews.com/node/1675531/middle-east
[9] Lebanon 24, May 18, 2020, https://www.lebanon24.com/news/lebanon/704501
[10] Im Lebanon, May 18, 2020, https://www.imlebanon.org/2020/05/18/assem-araji-13
[11] https://www.moph.gov.lb
[12] OCHA, May 12, 2020, https://reliefweb.int/report/lebanon/prcs-mobilized-assist-palestinian-communities-
[13] OCHA, May 12, 2020, https://reliefweb.int