Eritrea says two people have tested positive for Covid-19, three weeks after the nation announced all its confirmed patients had recovered from the virus, and made it the first country in the region to bring number of infections down to zero.
And while Asmara had said recovery of patients did not mean relaxation of its guard, the new cases also came after it was revealed land and sea borders had continued to accept new arrivals, two months after Eritrea shut down its main airport.
But on the same day, Eritrea’s High-Level Task Force on Covid-19, however, said that country will launch a “random and extensive testing to gauge the spread of Covid-19 in the country in a comprehensive and more reliable manner”
According to a statement issued Thursday by Eritrea’s ministry of information, the first phase of extensive random sampling and testing which had been conducted in various sections of the capital, Asmara, were completed on Wednesday.
“Although the random tests carried out are extensive in scope, they have been limited to Asmara only”
However, the tiny nation said it is due to expand ongoing tests beyond the capital to border towns and villages, as well as in other places, in the coming weeks.
“In the long term, the tests will be ramped up for much wider coverage”
Since Asmara reported its first Covid-19 case on March 21, the country has since enforced a series of rigorous containment measures, including suspension flights to and from Eritrea and a nationwide lockdown to stem the spread.
