How these countries escaped COVID-19 scourge

With about 210 countries and territories affected by the Coronavirus pandemic, some fifteen countries, including two in Africa have been spared due to active measures taken by authorities in these countries.

In Africa, Comoros and Lesotho are not affected by pandemic. Also spared are North Korea, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan in Asia.

Then there are a host of small nations in the Pacific- Tonga, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru and Palau. Others are Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Samoa and Solomon Islands.

That North Korea remains free of the virus is surprising. It has three virus-stricken neighbours. It shares boundaries with China, where the virus started in December last year. It also shares boundaries with Russia, which has close to 16,000 cases. And it shares an umbilical cord with South Korea, with over 10,000 cases.

North Korea shut its borders with China in January after the first coronavirus cases were detected there. It also put thousands of its own people and hundreds of foreigners – including diplomats – into isolation.

The Pacific Islands have been spared because they are remote places, seldom receiving visitors. However, the authorities in the island are not letting down their guards, according to a BBC report.

Nauru for instance rolled out proactive measures on 2 March. It banned travelers from China, South Korea, and Italy. Five days later, Iran was added to the list

Lesotho is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, while Comoros is an island off the Pacific coast of Africa.

Comoros authorities introduced a number of precautionary measures in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. On 23 March, all international flights were suspended until further notice. Ports are closed to traffic from affected countries.

Wedding celebrations, commemorations and political gatherings have been banned until further notice. Private schools have closed.

Lesotho similarly imposed preventive measures. On 25 March, government announced restrictions on movement from midnight on 29 March until 21 April. Lesotho’s borders are closed until midnight of 21 April.

Movement of persons in or out of Lesotho is prohibited.

By Sunday 1,846,954 people had been infected by the virus. The global death toll was also 113,885.