COVID-19 pandemic in Guinea-Bissau


The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached Guinea-Bissau in March 2020.

Background

On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.
The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003, but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll. Model-based simulations for Guinea-Bissau suggest that the 95% confidence interval for the time-varying reproduction number R t has been stable around 1.0 since May 2020, with a slight increase in late June.

Timeline

March 2020

On 25 March, Guinea-Bissau confirmed its first two COVID-19 cases, a Congolese U.N. employee and an Indian citizen. A month-long state of emergency with night-time curfew was introduced on 28 March.
During the month nine persons tested positive. All nine cases remained active at the end of the month.

April 2020

Guinea-Bissau recorded its first death on 26 April. The existing state of emergency was prolonged until 11 May.
On 29 April, the Prime Minister Nuno Gomes Nabiam, Interior Minister :pt:Botche Candé|Botche Candé, Secretary of State for Public Order Mario Fambé, and Secretary of State for Regional Integration Monica Buaro da Costa had tested positive for the coronavirus.
In April, 192 new cases were reported, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 201. The death toll was 1. Fifteen patients recovered, leaving 185 active cases at the end of the month.

May 2020

On 1 May, the Minister of Public Health Antonio Deuna tested positive for the coronavirus.
There were 1,121 new cases in May, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 1,322. The death toll rose to 8. The number of the active cases at the end of the month was 1,206.

June 2020

On 16 June, Reuters reported that 9% of health care workers have been infected with COVID-19. According to Joana Cortez, a WHO expert in Guinea-Bissau, the three main Bissau hospitals are currently facing rooms filled with COVID-19 patients and a breakdown in essential medical services.
On 26 June, president Umaro Sissoco Embaló announced a one-month extension of the state of emergency, but lifted the curfew.
In June, the number of confirmed cases grew by 332 to 1654. The death toll rose to 24. There were 1313 active cases at the end of the month.