The country’s immunization stands at 0,07% nationwide whereas the country’s infections have extremely gone high.
Weekly bulletin released last week reported that only 0,07% jabs have been administered including Sinopharm (0,02%) and Johnson & Johnson (0,04%). This includes those who got both the first and second dose.
Burundi received coronavirus vaccine in the beginning of October_ 500,000 Sinopharm doses and 15 1200 Johnson &Johnson ones. For the first, only 3344 (1,82%) jabs have been used while only 2745 doses have been administered for the second, presenting an average of 0,67%.
Figures of immunized are slightly low nationwide as the country’s infections spiked_up to 100 positive cases daily.
Regionally, compiled data shows that Rwanda has immunized almost 38,1% of its population. However, globally 57.4% have been jabbed, at least received one shot.
The report stressed out that the epidemiologic evolution shows that Burundi is in the phase of COVID-19 activeness.
“The unfolding epidemiological evolution implies that Burundi went into yet another phase of active dissemination of the coronavirus amongst the general population,” reads the report.
In the past two weeks, infections rose to 74,0%. As of daily cases, it increased from 91 cases to 351 cases. It up-warded from 640 to 2458 cases weekly, which is 284,1% rise.
Despite the infections’ growth, the minister of Public Health Sylvie Nzeyimana assured Burundians last week that all patients who diagnosed the virus were healthy, as she spoke to the press.
“Though the number of infected is increasing, whoever tested positive is assigned to drugs. Not many patients are under hospital facilities, or experience severe complications. No death has been recorded,” she said.
Considering the number of people in need of covid-19 test, said the minister, we are going to extend screening points including health centers of Ngagara, Mutakura, Rubirizi, Kanyosha, Musaga, and Roi Khaled hospital.
The extension comes while Bujumbura capital city registers most infected people (1783 in 3098) in the last three weeks which is 57,55%.
The report said that the positivity rate is at 3,97 per 100 tests, this weighed to 0,65 in the last 21 days.
The surge of infections in Burundi collided with the covid-19 Omicron variant threat that invaded the world some weeks ago.
The region was not spared, first cases were detected as of the 15th of December, in Kenya and Rwanda as reported by Reuters, in Uganda, as well as in Tanzania.
The variant is believed to be rapidly contagious, according to the BBC.
In the effort therein to halt the spread of covid-19, the ministry of Home Affairs tightened measures including mandatory masks in public transport along with mandatory test at the border. Also, it shut down sauna houses till further notice.
“Karaoke shows, nightclubs, and concerts remain closed”, said the minister of Home Affairs Gervais Ndirakobuca at the beginning of the week.
However, during these end-year festivities, churches are allowed to operate even on the New Year’s Eve, he said.
For those who has breached the new restrictions, a fine that goes between BIF 5,000(around $2) to BIF 20,000 (around $8) was levied to anyone.
“Though I have paid BIF 10,000 (approximatively $4), I am happy to see that everyone in bus or taxi wear a mask, before they did not take it seriously”, said J.M., a resident in Bujumbura city.
According to the same report, this peak of contamination mainly in the economic capital took the positivity rate to 4,85% (that is 710 infected per 14630 tests) for nationals and 4,61% (which is an average of 611 infections per 1324 tests) for foreigners.
Nationwide, at least each district in 48 has detected a positive case in the last two weeks.
A World Health Organization figure shows that from the 3rd of January, 2020 to the 23rd December 2021, 23,657 cases of covid-19 have been confirmed with14 fatalities officially recorded.
As of the 16th December, 2021, 5,474 vaccine doses have been administered.
