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COVID-19: WHO EMRO Biweekly Situation Report #6 - Epi Weeks 11-12 (14-27 March 2021)

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KEY HIGHLIGHTS

  • As of 27 March 2021, the Eastern Mediterranean Region has reported 7,401,780 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 157,028 deaths since the start of the pandemic. The total number of tests performed in the Region has reached 112,216,096, with a median cumulative positivity ratio of 10.4% (range from 1.3% to 25.3%). Both cases and deaths are on an upward trajectory, with the numbers of new cases and deaths increasing over the past weeks. The number of reported cases was 13% higher than during the previous two weeks. The number of reported deaths also increased by 17% compared to the two previous weeks. 15 and 14 countries reported a biweekly increase in cases and deaths, respectively. A biweekly decrease in cases was reported by Iran (-7%), Somalia (-3%), and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) (-20%).

  • On 24 March 2021, Qatar announced the identification of the B.1.351 variant of concern (VOC) bringing the total number of countries reporting SARS-CoV-2 VOCs in the EMR to 15 countries: Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan,
    Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, oPt, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and the UAE.

  • In the reporting period, COVID-19 vaccines were delivered to Afghanistan, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, the occupied Palestinian territory, and Tunisia, through the COVAX Facility in the reporting period. To date, 10 countries in total have received vaccines through the COVAX Facility.