This is one of the measures decided today after meeting the Interministerial Commission for the Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic, disclosed in a statement.
Angola had already restricted, on March 3, the entry of non-resident citizens from countries with community transmission of the new coronavirus, namely China, South Korea, Iran, Italy, imposing a 14-day quarantine on Angolan citizens or foreign residents.
As of March 18, 2020, the quarantine is extended to "all nationals or residents, who at any time, during this pandemic, have been in countries with community transmission of the new coronavirus, namely China, South Korea , Iran, Italy, Portugal, Spain and France or in contact with patients affected by Covid-19 ", the statement said.
The measures adopted by the Ministry of Health, after hearing from the Committee of National Experts and Experts of the World Health Organization, also include maintaining the ban on visits to citizens covered by this decision while they remain in quarantine places and maintaining the ban on public access to these areas.
It was also decided to reinforce the teams and actions of rapid response and epidemiological surveillance at the central, provincial and municipal levels, as well as at the points of entry of the country and to recommend to all public and private organizations, the quarantine, of at least 14 days, of all employees who have returned from countries with active community transmission.
It is also recommended to avoid public events with more than 200 people.
The Commission, which met in Luanda to evaluate the preventive measures and the National Contingency Plan for the control of the Covid-19 pandemic, also recommended the need to intensify the work of Civic Education to prevent and contain the pandemic, as well as measures of social restraint, avoiding as much as possible groups with large agglomerations, namely at sporting, cultural and religious events.
"It is recommended that the public frequently observe hygiene measures, participate in small and strictly necessary meetings, avoid unnecessary travel, inside and outside the country," the statement added.
It was also decided to reinforce the control of the entry of travelers at airports, ports, railway terminals and land borders.
The social and economic impact of the pandemic on the world, in Africa, and especially in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region was also analyzed and the possible consequences in Angola and measures to be taken were evaluated.
The Interministerial Commission calls on civil society, churches, traditional authorities, the private sector, to launch initiatives for education, awareness and prevention among communities, indicating that suspected cases of the disease should be reported through the Integrated Public Security Center (CISP) through number 111.
The coronavirus responsible for the Covid-19 pandemic infected more than 180,000 people, of whom more than 7,000 died.
Of the people infected worldwide, more than 75,000 have recovered from the disease.
The outbreak began in China in December and spread to more than 145 countries and territories, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a pandemic.
