MECC Coronavirus (COVID 19) Weekly Report
SYRIA: COVID-19
Humanitarian Update No. 58
Reporting period: from 26 April to 2 May 2021
Coronavirus cases: 22898 Active cases: 4124 Recovered: 17171 Deaths: 1603 [1]
Highlights
Health Ministry announced Sunday 2 May, that 80 new coronavirus infections were recorded in the country, 179 patients have recovered and 5 have passed away.
The Ministry said on 2 May in a statement, that the total number of coronavirus infections in the country reached up to 22,898, of which 17,171 cases have recovered and 1,603 have passed away.[2]
22898 laboratory-confirmed cases have been reported by the Syrian MoH : 5175 in Damascus; 3562 in Lattakia; 3076 in Aleppo; 2790 in Homs; 2433 in Rural Damascus; 1773 in Tartous; 1228 in Dar’a; 1183 in Sweida; 951 in Hama; 451 in Quneitra; 174 in Deir-Ez-Zor; 89 in Al-Hasakeh and 13 in Ar-Raqqa.[3]
Russian and Syria Presidents discussed Russian vaccine supplies to Syria and cooperation against COVID-19 during a phone call on Monday 26 April, the Kremlin said.[4]
Aid agencies and the UN have warned that a “rapid and accelerating” wave of coronavirus and shortages of equipment such as tests and oxygen is putting millions of people across conflict-ravaged Syria at risk from the virus.[5]
According to the head of the UN’s humanitarian affairs office, the number of new cases in parts of Syria under Syrian's government doubled between February and March, and intensive care units in the capital, Damascus, are also now full.
In the north-east of the country, the only Covid-19 laboratory is likely to run out of testing kits in the next seven days, while new cases are surging. More than 5,300 cases have been confirmed in the area in April alone, according to the International Rescue Committee (IRC) – more than half of the total for the whole of 2020. Currently, more than 47% of tests are coming back positive.
-Currently, 83% of patients who receive invasive ventilation in the region are not surviving and we fear that things will only get worse,” said the IRC’s policy and advocacy director for the region. “The health system is struggling to cope, and the situation is deteriorating extremely rapidly.”
-Seven UN and NGO-funded treatment facilities have been forced to close due to a lack of funding: several of those that remain are reaching capacity, and oxygen supplies are beginning to run out.
In NWS, for now, demand for vaccines far outstrips supply: in Idlib and the surrounding area alone, 3 million residents live in dire humanitarian conditions, and social distancing and other measures to contain the disease are hard to implement.[6]
[1] Microsoft power MOH, 2 May 2021
Lebanon: COVID-19
Humanitarian Update No. 55
Reporting period: from 27 April to 4 May 2021
Coronavirus cases: 520,939 Deaths: 7,142 Recovered: 445,163
Highlights
Corona related stats, source: WHO
During this reporting period, the average number of cases dropped to 1181 per day.
The Minister of Public Health Dr. Hamad Hassan discussed the field Vaccination Campaign that will be launched starting in June, with Lebanon expected to receive about a million jabs.
The Minister of Public Heath held a meeting to discuss the establishment of the new government hospital in the Akkar area, which is funded from the Kuwait Fund for Development.
The Minister of Tourism discussed the impact of the tourism sector on the health situation with the Judicial Police of the Internal Security Forces and the Tourist Police, as a security plan was drawn up to pursue and close violating institutions.
The Ministry of Public Health issued a report summarizing the side effects related to the COVID-19 vaccines that were reported during the national vaccination campaign in the period between February 14 and March 31, 2021.
The Information Office of the Ministry of Public Health issued a statement in which it published the list of centers that will stop giving the AstraZeneca vaccine to citizens due to the delay in delivering the quantities.
The Bekaa Water Corporation was closed down following the corona-related death of the head of the Maintenance and Distribution Department in Zahle.
Communication and Public Relations Department