As of May 26th, Nicaraguan health authorities have officially confirmed 759 cases of COVID-19 within our borders and 35 deaths from it. Experts have indicated that most likely we are already transitioning to the phase of community transmission. For comparison, the phase of spread of the virus in Nicaragua is approximately two months behind that of the United States.
As we continue to monitor global and local news, and follow the guidelines from CDC, WHO, and the Nicaraguan Ministry of Health (MINSA), we believe the next 4-8 weeks will be the most crucial for Nicaragua in terms of the spread of COVID-19.
For AMOS, the health and safety of the people we serve, health promoters, and our staff are our highest priorities. That is why we have taken the following measures:
Further support the 23 remote, rural villages where we serve by (1) training health promoters on how to prevent the spread of the virus, which symptoms to watch for, and what to do with a suspicious case; (2) providing personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies to health promoters; (3) training them on effective hand washing and home and personal hygiene practices so they can share with families; (4) fully stocking community clinics with essential medications to treat common diseases in their own communities; (5) Weekly tracking the number of respiratory cases in our communities to assess whether there has been a spike compared to the previous year; (6) staying in touch with health promoters via cell phones they have received from AMOS to share updates and accurate information, address emergency needs, and let them know they are not alone.
Keep our two urban clinics in Managua open to offer critical health services for impoverished families in Nejapa and Villa Guadalupe, while providing personal protective equipment to our staff, disinfecting common-used surfaces, enforcing frequent hand washing and social distancing in waiting rooms, having a separate waiting room for patients showing symptoms of respiratory illnesses, and other preventative measures suggested by the CDC and WHO.
Suspend all scheduled mission teams through June 30th for the overall safety of our visitors, community members, and staff. This decision will be reviewed on a monthly basis, and our delegations staff will be reaching out to mission team leaders for regular updates as the situation evolves. (Even though borders remain open, all international airlines with service to Nicaragua suspended their flights until at least early June, and Delta Airlines has suspended flights to Nicaragua indefinitely).
We are committed to continue our work and do as much as we can to protect the people we serve and our staff. We are constantly monitoring the situation and will keep you updated.
Our special gratitude to everyone who so generously has made a financial gift to help us respond to this health emergency and help save lives in Nicaragua. You are helping us reach out to some of the most vulnerable people in the world and give them hope.