This archive report was first published on 13 May 2020.
As of May 13, 2020, Eritrea was on the path to eliminating Covid-19 on its soil, with only one active case remaining after 38 of the 39 reported cases recovered and were discharged from hospital.
The country's Health Ministry attributed the success to strict guidelines for people to stay home, which officials say have been enforced rigorously.
Since April 18, when four people who had been quarantined contracted the virus, Eritrea had not reported a single new case of Covid-19.
Yemane Meskel, the government spokesman and Minister for Information, stated that the 'standard tests' at the National Laboratory had shown that 38 patients had been cured.
Despite this level of recovery, the government in Asmara stressed that the achievement should not prompt the public to loosen regulations enforced by the country's task force.
‘This important milestone should not induce complacency. The grave threat of the pandemic has not been eradicated. We are not out of the woods yet,’ Meskel said on Tuesday.
Officials urged citizens to continue adhering to the Government of Eritrea guidelines in force until the ongoing task of detailed and comprehensive assessment to gauge the spread of the pandemic in the entire country with full certainty is accomplished.
As of the publication date, May 13, 2020, the current Covid-19 tally in Eritrea stood at 39 cases, the lowest in the region.
