Mongolia: Authorities to impose nationwide lockdown November 12-17 /update 16

Event

Mongolian authorities responded to the confirmation of the country's first locally transmitted coronavirus disease (COVID-19) case on Wednesday, November 11, by ordering a five-day nationwide lockdown from 06:00 (local time) on Thursday, November 12, through to 06:00 on Tuesday, November 17. Under the lockdown measures, grocery stores, supermarkets, food markets, petrol stations, pharmacies, hospitals, and power plants are among the few businesses permitted to continue operating. Residents will only be able to leave home to purchase essential goods or attend work if they are unable to work from home. Schools have closed in Ulaanbaatar and travel to and from the capital has been banned. The wearing of face masks remains mandatory and large gatherings are banned.

The government also plans to cease repatriation flights from Friday, November 13, until further notice, with commercial flights remaining banned. Mongolia will also close land border crossings from Monday, November 16. Mongolia's State Emergency Commission (SEC) has extended the national heightened state of readiness until December 31.

As of November 12, there have been 382 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Mongolia. The country is yet to register any 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 the 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 COVID-19 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.