Honduras: Nationwide curfew extended until August 23 /update 16

Event

Honduran authorities have extended the nationwide daily curfew until August 23 amid the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The curfew remains in place between the hours of 17:00 and 07:00 (local time). Banks, pharmacies, gas stations, supermarkets, hardware stores, fruit and vegetable markets, and other authorized businesses will be open Monday through Friday. Residents will be allowed to leave their homes one day of the week, for essential activities from 06:00 to 20:00, according to the last digit of an individual's national identity card or passport number for non-Honduran citizens. No residents are allowed to leave their homes on Saturdays or Sundays.

• Monday, August 10, - 1;
• Tuesday, August 11, - 2;
• Wednesday, August 12, - 3;
• Thursday, August 13, - 4;
• Friday, August 14, - 5;
• Monday, August 17, - 6;
• Tuesday, August 18. - 7;
• Wednesday, August 19, - 8;
• Thursday, August 20, - 9;
• Friday, August 21, - 0.

Honduras will reopen airports for international commercial flight operations on August 17, while domestic flights were permitted to resume from Monday, August 10. Land and sea borders remain closed; however, the transport of cargo goods and supplies are exempt. In addition, face masks are mandatory to use in all public spaces.

As of Tuesday, August 11, there have been 47,872 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Honduras, and 1506 associated fatalities. Further international spread of the virus is expected in the near term.

Context

The first case of COVID-19 was reported on December 31 and the source of the outbreak has been linked to a wet market in Wuhan (Hubei province, China). Since then, human-to-human transmission of the virus has been confirmed.

Cases of the virus have been confirmed in numerous countries and territories worldwide. On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the global outbreak a pandemic. Virus-screening and quarantining measures are being implemented at airports worldwide, as well as extensive travel restrictions.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Some patients may experience other symptoms such as body pains, nasal congestion, headache, conjunctivitis, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell or a rash on skin or discoloration of fingers or toes. These symptoms (in most cases mild) appear gradually. Generally, most patients (around 80 percent) recover from the disease without being hospitalized.

Advice

Measures adopted by local authorities evolve quickly and are usually effective immediately. Depending on the evolution of the outbreak in other countries, authorities are likely to modify, at very short notice, the list of countries whose travelers are subject to border control measures or entry restrictions upon their arrival to the territory in question. It is advised to postpone nonessential travel due to the risk that travelers may be refused entry or be subject to quarantine upon their arrival or during their stay.

To reduce the risk of transmission, travelers are advised to abide by the following measures:

• Frequently clean hands by applying an alcohol-based hand rub or washing with soap and water.
• When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue; if used, throw the tissue away immediately and wash hands.
• If experiencing a fever, cough, difficulty breathing, or any other symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness, including pneumonia, call emergency services before going to the doctor or hospital to prevent the potential spread of the disease.