COVID-19 pandemic in the Marshall Islands

The COVID-19 pandemic in the Marshall Islands is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus was confirmed to have reached the Marshall Islands on 28 October 2020, but remained confined to quarantined arrivals (no domestic community spread) until August 2022. The first known community transmission cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Majuro on August 8, 2022, ending the country's COVID-free status.[2] The first confirmed death from COVID-19 in the Marshall Islands occurred on August 11, 2022.[3]

COVID-19 pandemic in the Marshall Islands
DiseaseCOVID-19
Virus strainSARS-CoV-2
LocationMarshall Islands
Index caseKwajalein
Arrival date29 October 2020
(2 years and 4 days ago)
Confirmed cases9,912
Recovered554[1]
Deaths
14

The Marshall Islands were the first country in the Pacific Islands to start its COVID-19 vaccination program, which commenced in December 2020.

Background

On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.[4][5]

The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003,[6][7] but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.[8][6]

Timeline
Cases
Deaths

The first cases in the country were reported on 28 October 2020, among two members of the US Army Garrison, who were among a group of 300 Marshall Islanders abroad being repatriated.[9]

The two cases, a man and woman who arrived at a US airfield in Kwajalein tested negative for the virus in Hawaii a week before their arrival.[10] The disaster committee of the Marshall Islands has said "there was no threat of community transmission" and that no lockdown would be implemented until further notice.[11]

On 29 December 2020, the Marshall Islands became the first country in the Pacific to start its COVID-19 vaccinations. A group of high ranking leaders joined with Ministry of Health's doctors and nurses were the first to receive the United States government provided vaccines.[12]

By 13 April 2021, the Marshall Islands reached an adult population vaccination rate of nearly 75% in the "main towns" with their first dose. After completing the urban areas, the Ministry of Health and Human Services planned to distribute Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines to the most remote islands of the country to vaccinate the rest of the population. The 20,000 vaccine doses were provided as a donation by the United States and were deemed sufficient to cover every island's populations.[13]

August 2022 saw the first outbreak of the virus in the Marshall Islands.[14]

Statistics

New cases per day

Cases by islands
Cases by islands as of 21 August 2022
Island Cases Recovered Deaths References
Ailinglaplap 6 0 0
Ailuk 25 0 0
Arno 141 0 0
Aur 72 0 0
Jaluit 253 0 0
Kwajalein[lower-alpha 1] 2,177 6 3
Majuro 7,145 548 11
Maloelap 25 0 0
Mili 20 0 0
Wotje 89 0 0
9,953 554 14 [15]

Notes
  1. 99 cases at the U.S. Army Garrison - Kwajalein Atoll

References
  1. "Marshall Islands free of Covid again". RNZ. 12 November 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  2. Johnson, Giff (9 August 2022). "Marshall Islands sees first Covid-19 spread". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 8 August 2022. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  3. "Pacific news in brief for August 11". Radio New Zealand. 11 August 2022.
  4. Elsevier. "Novel Coronavirus Information Center". Elsevier Connect. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  5. Reynolds, Matt (4 March 2020). "What is coronavirus and how close is it to becoming a pandemic?". Wired UK. ISSN 1357-0978. Archived from the original on 5 March 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  6. "Crunching the numbers for coronavirus". Imperial News. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  7. "High consequence infectious diseases (HCID); Guidance and information about high consequence infectious diseases and their management in England". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 3 March 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  8. "World Federation Of Societies of Anaesthesiologists – Coronavirus". www.wfsahq.org. Archived from the original on 12 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  9. "First Covid-19 cases in quarantine at US Army base in Marshall Islands". RNZ. 29 October 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  10. "Virus arrives in once-clear Marshall Islands". Coronavirus. 29 October 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  11. Doherty, Ben (29 October 2020). "Remote Marshall Islands records its first coronavirus cases". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  12. "Marshalls first independent Pacific nation to launch Covid vaccines". RNZ. 30 December 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  13. Three quarters of urban Marshall Islanders get first Covid jab, RNZ, 13 April 2021
  14. "Marshall Islands: Covid-19 cases surge". BBC News. 15 August 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  15. "RMI MOHHS COVID Update 21-Aug-2022". Facebook. 21 August 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
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