MECC Coronavirus (COVID 19) Weekly Report
SYRIA: COVID-19
Humanitarian Update No. 14
Reporting period: from 22 to 29 June 2020
Coronavirus cases: 269 Deaths: 9 Recovered: 102[1]
Highlights
Number of people confirmed by the Ministry of Health to have COVID-19: 269 (9 fatalities, 102 recovered).
As of 25 June, approximately 8,041 COVID-19 tests have been performed in laboratories in Damascus, Aleppo, Homs and Lattakia governorates.
269 laboratory-confirmed cases have been reported by the MoH to date: 1 case in Aleppo; 1 in Hama; 1 in Lattakia; 2 in Dar’a; 2 in As-Sweida; 5 in Homs; 21 in Quneitra; 88 in Rural Damascus; 135 in Damascus; and 13 additional cases where the location has not yet been announced.
Of the cases, 99 cases were announced as imported, including recently repatriated Syrian nationals, students from Lebanon who had come to Syria to sit national exams, in addition to a truck driver working across borders.
International repatriation flights have landed in Damascus and Lattakia international airports from multiple locations with approximately 2,440 people repatriated –out of a reported 10,000 registered with the most recent repatriation flight reported as for approximately 250 Syrian nationals from India which landed on 21 June.
A reported 2,000 Syrian nationals residing in Lebanon have also reportedly returned through land crossings, mainly Maasna border point.
On 21 June, national high school exams commenced; as of 25 June, approximately 2,985 students had crossed into GoS-controlled areas to sit their high school certificate.
Updated measures
During the reporting period, a lockdown on Ras al-Ma’ara town in Rural Damascus and Jdeidet al-Fadl in Al Quneitra remained in place.
On 28 June, following the reported death of a 70-year-old man at Aleppo University Hospital who had tested positive for COVID-19 the previous day, the Governor of Aleppo announced the closure of a number of main squares and penalties for businesses found to be violating health and preventive measures.
Of other note, on 23 June, the MoH announced that 12 students who had come from Lebanon for national exams had tested positive for COVID-19 and would complete their examinations under quarantine.
Local authorities in NES have also eased preventive measures, that most transport, shops and markets are allowed to operate between 7am to 7pm, and some institutions have been allowed to reopen. Travel is now permitted, and religious centers are allowed to open after disinfection.
Tabqa crossing point is reported as currently open to commercial and humanitarian cargo, and medical cases and students are also reported allowed to across after undergoing rapid temperature screening, which may not provide a reliable indication of infection.
Restrictions remain in place at most other crossing points inside Syria. While, Abu Assi in Ar-Raqqa is reported open for students crossing to sit national exams. Ghazawiyet Afrin and Al-Taihain Aleppo are reported open for commercial traffic; the latter is also reported open for students. Bab Al Hawa in Idleb partially open with restrictions. Deir Ballut in Aleppo is open.[2]
Updated Humanitarian Impact
At the time of writing, the informal exchange rate was approximately SYP 2,450. In some areas during the reporting period, local authorities announced local adoption of the Turkish Lira as an accepted currency, including to purchase groceries and pay salaries, in light of the weakening SYP.
Dramatic price rises in many basic commodities has been observed although that the exchange rate has remained between 2400 and 2600 per dollar during the last week.
On 24 June, Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MoSAL) announced a second tranche of payments to 18,731 people would occur on an unspecified date.
Preparedness and Response
During the reporting period, rehabilitation of the Central Public Health Laboratory (CPHL) to establish a designated laboratory for COVID-19 was completed, expanding the testing capacity of the laboratory to approximately 1,000 tests per day/week. On-site training for 24 CPHL laboratory technicians has also been completed.
During the reporting period, WHO delivered 11,000 sample bags, and 25 enzyme kits (2,500 reactions).
In addition to date, WHO has provided 69 enzyme kits, 177extraction kits (26,250 reactions), 172 screening kits and 15 confirmatory testing kits, 18,000 swabs and viral transport medium for sample collection, and five polymerase chain reaction (PCR)machines.
In the reporting period, WHO provided MoE with 250,000 masks and 200,000 hand sanitizers to utilize during the national exams.
In the reporting period, UNICEF provided soap through WFP food distributions to 1,150 families in Homs and Hama, and hygiene kits for 1,177 returnees in Idleb.
During the reporting period, UNFPA provided e-vouchers to 805 households in Dar’a to purchase essential hygiene items. In addition to date, UNFPA has distributed dignity kits to 12,650 people through partners.
Further, in the reporting period, Adventist Development Relief Agency distributed 667 sanitization kits in northern rural Homs. SARC also delivered hygiene kits and cleaning products to 550 IDP and host community families in As-Sweida.
In the reporting period, sectors have provided ongoing support to students sitting national exams, including humanitarian support to around students who have travelled cross-line to government-controlled areas in Aleppo, Ar-Raqqa, Hama and Deir-ez-Zor and governorates.
The MoH continues active case finding applying random sampling methods, including in Jdeidet al-Fadl, where a cluster of 11 reported cases so far has emerged.
UNICEF during national exams, has supported awareness campaigns at 5,000 exam and accommodation centers hosting students.
WHO launched the first of 16 planned capacity-building workshops for 480 health care providers at eight university hospitals in Damascus on best practices during COVID-19.
UNHCR report that in the reporting period, 2,131 outreach volunteers reached approximately 20,052 people across 13 governorates on awareness raising.
UNICEF supported training of 25 journalists to build awareness on special procedures taken in light of COVID-19 during national immunization campaigns.
In As-Sweida, a new awareness campaign targeting university campuses commenced, utilizing UNICEF-supported youth volunteers.
To date, 432 Rapid Relief Team (RRT) personnel in 13 governorates have received dedicated training on COVID-19 case investigation, sample collection and referral, with further trainings scheduled for June. In NES, five RRTs are active in Al-Hasakeh, fivein Ar-Raqqaand fourin Deir-Ez-Zor, while Menbij/Kobane is being covered from Aleppo.
Health sector partners reported that currently 120 mobile medical units are operational in all governorates.[3]
Lebanon: COVID-19
Humanitarian Update No. 11
Reporting period: from 24 to 30 June 2020
Coronavirus cases: 1745 Deaths: 34 Recovered: 1170
Highlights
Lebanon continued to record substantial number of new cases during this reporting period.
Although a heightened number of new cases being recorded, the Minister of Public Health, Dr. Hamad Hassan assured that sufficient hospitals are well equipped to deal with the virus and that staff had shown great professionalism and competency in their work.
Inbound flights are continuing to return to Lebanon as planned and the airport will open by the 1st of July.
Updated measures
The Ministry of Public Works and Transport and the General Directorate of Civil Aviation issued Circular No. 2/29 on 27/6/2020 to all airlines and ground services companies at Rafic Hariri International Airport on procedures for passengers arriving to Lebanon as of 7/2020. Moreover, it issued Circular No. 2/28 including the list of the countries with approved PCR tests.
The Ministry of Interior under Circular No. 58 on 20/6/2020 related to amending the opening and closing times of industrial and commercial establishments as well as opening all amusement parks and children’s playgrounds, under the condition of adhering to the safety measures.
The Ministry of Public Works and Transport and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, issued Circular No. 2/31 on 7/27/2020 to all passengers present at the Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut and all employees at the airport including the obligation to wear masks for the entire period of their presence at the airport and on the plane, and to abide by the measures of social distancing.
Risks
Same risks still persist from report number 9.
Caesar Act Law.
Preparedness and response
The Minister of Public Health, Dr. Hamad Hassan presided over a meeting at the ministry, where he discussed with the participants, the quality of drugs being used during such difficult times.
Dr. Hamad Hassan, during a press conference he held at the Bouwar Hospital, attempted to raise the moral of medical workers dealing with the virus, urging them not to give up and feel disheartened by the reported cases coming from abroad.
Kartaba Public Hospital received 1 billion LBP after the Lebanese government had been promised between 50 and 60 million USD in aid.
The Chairman of the Economy and Planning Committee and CEO of “Phoenix” MP Naama Ephrem announced, in a press conference held in the Press Club, the successful completion of a round of trials on the artificial respirator produced by the company from Indfco Industrial Group. Moreover, he declared the company will be moving on to obtain certificates that match European and international specifications.
The Minister of Health Met with the Order of Pharmacists to discuss measures that will able citizens to purchase medicine and to protect them from the dollar crisis.
The SAMS (Syrian American Medical Association) Foundation donated 6500 masks to the Ministry of Public Health.
Up until the 27th of June, the ISF has given 2740 fines for people not wearing medical masks.
The army carried out patrols in different Lebanese regions to disperse gatherings and distributed food units (CIMIC).
Up until June 28, the number of PCR tests conducted by the Lebanese Red Cross reached 26676.
[1] Worldometers, 29 June
[2] SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC: COVID-19 Humanitarian update No. 13
[3] SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC: COVID-19 Humanitarian update, As of 29 June 2020