… But There Are No Cases in Turkmenistan

written by Dr. Stephen A. Berger If you search the Internet for countries which have reported COVID-19, an endless variety of sources will describe the status of this disease in 207 countries and their dependencies. Few if any of these sites mention countries where this disease does not exist! As of April 19, GIDEON lists twenty-four countries (10.4% of the global total) that had not yet encountered a single case. Ironically, at this point, these countries enjoy a form of “medical isolation” – thanks to the disease itself! The chance that a traveler – let alone an infected traveler – can arrive in a new country is vanishingly-small because the idea of international travel has been erased by COVID-19. In most cases, countries that are not reporting COVID-19 cases have instituted travel restrictions, surveillance and preventive measures (masks, social distancing, etc). Several Pacific Island Nations listed below are geographically isolated, lack sufficient medical resources, and enforce similar forms of restriction and enforcement. The approach of two European countries – Tajikistan and Turkmenistan – is notably different. Although Tajikistan enforces restricted travel and quarantine for arriving travelers, large public gatherings and sporting events are not restricted. Face masks, though not required, are commonly seen in the streets. In contrast, a report by Reporters Without Borders stated that Turkmenistan had banned the use of the word “coronavirus...
Source: GIDEON blog - Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Tags: Epidemiology Outbreaks Source Type: blogs