The COVID-19 pandemic in Cameroon is part of the 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 Cameroon on 6 March 2020.
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.[2][3]
The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003,[4][5] but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.[6][4] Model-based simulations for Cameroon indicate that the 95% confidence interval for the time-varying reproduction numberR t has been stable around 1.0 since August 2020.[7]
Sources: various news sources and state health department websites. See Timeline Table and Timeline narrative for sources.
March 2020[]
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have spread to Cameroon, Central Africa on 6 March with its first confirmed case.[8] The infected person is a French national who arrived in the capital Yaoundé 24 February.[9][10][11]
The second case in the country was announced on 6 March. The case was a Cameroonian citizen who was in close contact with the first case, but officials did not release any further information on the case.[12]
Five new cases were confirmed on 18 March. Although further information about the victims was not published, one of the confirmed victims is a foreigner.[13]
The Minister of Public Health, Dr. Malachie Manaouda, revealed on 23 March that among the 16 cases tested positive that morning, 9 were from Douala, 6 in Yaoundé, and one in Bafoussam.[14]
On 27 March, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Cameroon reached 91 with the break down per areas as: 63 in Yaounde, 25 in Douala and 3 in Bafoussam.[15][16][17][18]
The total number of COVID-19 cases keep climbing up in the country. On 30 March, the Minister of Public Health announced that Cameroon had 142 active cases with 6 deaths.[19]
April 2020[]
The number of confirmed cases climbed to 1,832 in April. The number of recovered patients increased to 934, with 837 active cases at the end of the month.[20]
May 2020[]
On 5 May, Cameroon had 2,104 confirmed cases and 64 deaths.[21]
There were 4,072 new cases in May, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 5,904. The number of recovered patients increased to 3,568. There were 2,145 active cases at the end of the month.[22]
June 2020[]
During June there were 6,688 new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 12,592. The number of recovered patients increased to 10,100. There were 2,179 active cases at the end of the month.[23]
July 2020[]
There were 4,663 new cases in July, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 17,255. The number of recovered patients increased by 5,220 to 15,320. There were 1,544 active cases at the end of the month, a decrease by 29% from the end of June.[24]
August 2020[]
There were 1,887 new cases in August, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 19,142.[25] There were 1,080 active cases at the end of the month.
September 2020[]
There were 1,696 new cases in September, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 20,838. There were 901 active cases at the end of the month.[26]
October 2020[]
There were 955 new cases in October, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 21,793. There were 1,250 active cases at the end of the month.[27]
November 2020[]
There were 2,086 new cases in November, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 24,189.[28]
December 2020[]
There were 2,088 new cases in December, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 26,277.[29]
January 2021[]
There were 3,340 new cases in January, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 29,617.[30]
February 2021[]
There were 6,097 new cases in February, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 35,714.[31]
March 2021[]
There were 11,955 new cases in March, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 47,669.[32]
April 2021[]
There were 22,938 new cases in April, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 70,607.[33]
May 2021[]
There were 8,322 new cases in May, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 78,929.[34]
June 2021[]
There were 1,929 new cases in June, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 80,858.[35]
July 2021[]
There were 1,206 new cases in July, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 82,064.[36]
Deaths[]
March 2020[]
The first death occurred on 24 March,[37] the deceased was the famous saxophonist Manu Dibango.[38] By the end of March six persons had died from COVID-19.[39]
April 2020[]
There were 56 deaths in April, bringing the death toll to 61.[20]
May 2020[]
There were 130 deaths in May, bringing the death toll to 191.[22]
June 2020[]
There were 122 reported deaths in June, bringing the reported death toll to 313.[23]
July 2020[]
There were 78 reported deaths in July, bringing the reported death toll to 391.[24]
August 2020[]
There were 20 reported deaths in August, bringing the reported death toll to 411.[25]
September 2020[]
There were seven reported deaths in September, bringing the reported death toll to 418.[26]
October 2020[]
There were eight reported deaths in October, bringing the death toll to 426.[27]
November 2020[]
There were eleven reported deaths in November, bringing the death toll to 437.[28]
December 2020[]
There were eleven reported deaths in December, taking the death toll to 448.[29]
January 2021[]
There were 14 reported deaths in January, taking the death toll to 462.[30]
February 2021[]
There were 89 reported deaths in February, taking the death toll to 551.[31]
March 2021[]
There were 170 reported deaths in March, taking the death toll to 721.[32]
April 2021[]
There were 343 reported deaths in April, taking the death toll to 1064.[33]
May 2021[]
There were 211 reported deaths in May, taking the death toll to 1275.[34]
June 2021[]
There were 49 reported deaths in June, taking the death toll to 1324.[35]
July 2021[]
There were 10 reported deaths in July, taking the death toll to 1334.[36]
Medical supply donations[]
Jack Ma donated medical supplies (20,000 test kits, 100,000 masks and 1,000 medical-use protective suits and face shields) to Cameroon to assist the efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa.[40] The supplies arrived at Cameroon's Yaounde Nsimalen Airport on 27 March 2020.[41]
Samuel Eto'o gave 50,000 facial protection masks to taxi drivers in his country.[42]
Vaccination started on 12 April 2021, initially with 200,000 doses of Sinopharm's BBIBP-CorV vaccine donated by China.[43]
Statistics[]
New cases[]
New deaths[]
Government measures[]
On 18 March, Cameroonian Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute closed its land, air and sea borders.[44]
On 30 March, the Minister of Health announced the imminent launch of a coronavirus test campaign in the city of Douala. Dedicated teams will go door-to-door in the economic capital from April 2 to 6, says the minister.[45]
On 7 April, the Cameroonian government has suspended calls for public generosity in the fight against COVID-19, a move that attracted criticism over political motives.[46]
On 10 April, the government took 7 additional measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 in Cameroon. These measures take effect from Monday, 13 April 2020.[47]
Measure 1: Wearing a mask in all areas open to the public;
Measure 2: Local production of drugs, screening tests, protective masks and hydro-alcoholic gels;
Measure 3: Establishment of specialized COVID-19 treatment centers in all regional capitals;
Measure 4: Intensification of the screening campaign with the collaboration of the Center Pasteur;
Measure 5: Intensification of the awareness campaign in urban and rural areas in both official languages;
Measure 6: Continuation of activities essential to the economy in strict compliance with the directives of March 17, 2020;
Measure 7: Sanction
On April 15, following the claims of the Human Rights Commission of the Cameroon Bar Association, President Paul Biya announced the release of certain prisoners in connection with COVID-19.[48]
On Tuesday May 5, the Minister of Health announced the provision to healthcare personnel of 50,000 coveralls, 320,000 surgical masks, 220 backpack sprayers, 10,000 pairs of overshoes.[21]
In late June, the government announced that the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations would be postponed until 2022.[49]
^Future scenarios of the healthcare burden of COVID-19 in low- or middle-income countries, MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College London.