DILI, 24 august 2021 (TATOLI) – The Integrated Crisis Management Center (SIJK) requested the Government of Timor-Leste to re-impose mandatory confinement for all citizens residing in Capital Dili, due to the recent spike of the Covid-19 cases.
“Due to the rapid spread of the Delta variant and the increase of the Covid-19 deaths in the country, we recommend the government to re-impose the mandatory domiciliary confinement and sanitary fence in Capital Dili to prevent the spread of the Delta variant and death in Timor-Leste,” the Coordinator of Pillar 7 of the Ministry of Health, Nilton da Silva, made the comments during the discussion of the extension of the nation’s XVII state of emergency, at the National Parliament, today.
Silva urged citizens over 18 to get vaccinated, saying vaccines will prevent severe infections and deaths in the country.
Timor-Leste, yesterday, reported another death, 187 infections, 67 recoveries, and the active cases were 3.383.
Since March 20, 2020, a total of 14.403 lab-confirmed cases of the virus had been registered in Timor-Leste, with 49 deaths, of the number, the majority were reported in Dili, followed by five other municipalities.
“Today, the number of Covid-19 deaths had increased to 50. It includes the deaths recorded in RAEOA and Ermera municipality. Just in the recent weeks, Timor-Leste registered 19 deaths, the majority of whom hadn’t been vaccinated,” said Silva.
He said 375 patients had been admitted to both health care centers – Lahan Hosptial and Vera Cruz Isolation Center for an intensive treatment, adding among the patients 54 were unvaccinated.
“Of these 54 patients, three had passed away and three are in critical conditions,” he said.
Silva affirmed that based on the test result of the 45 samples sending for further testing at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and immunity, on august 11, in Melbourne, Australia, indicated that 37 positive cases were infected with the Delta variant, consisting of 22 cases in Dili, and 15 from Ermera municipality.
“I assumed that the Delta variant may have spread in Capital Dili, as it is a highly contagious SARS-CoV-2 virus strain. The Delta variant is more aggressive and much more transmissible than other variants,” he added.
In Timor-Leste, of the 754.864 eligible groups, 48.3 percent had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, of which 21.7 percent have also received their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Journalist : Florêncio Miranda Ximenes
Editor : Julia Chatarina
Translation : Filomeno Martins
Editor : Nelia Borges Rosario
