Professional Documents
Culture Documents
(COVID-19)
Situation Report – 191
Data as received by WHO from national authorities by 10:00 CEST, 29 July 2020
Highlights
The WHO Regional Office for Europe urges Turkmenistan to activate critical measures to prepare for
COVID-19 outbreaks. To date, Turkmenistan has not reported any confirmed COVID-19 cases to WHO,
however, the country has recently activated measures to prevent the transmission of respiratory
infections within communities.
The COVID-19 pandemic is threatening progress made towards eliminating hepatitis B. In observance of
World Hepatitis Day on 28 July, WHO has called for united and fast-tracked action to stop mother-to-child
transmission of viral hepatitis. “No infant should grow up only to die of hepatitis B because they were not
vaccinated” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros.
The WHO Regional Office for the Americas collaborates with the World Food Programme and the
Canadian Government to facilitate delivery of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to support Trinidad
and Tobago’s COVID-19 response. The supplies were procured via the UN Supply Portal and the PAHO
Strategic Fund, which facilitates procurement of diagnostics, ventilators, and PPE for the COVID-19
response.
The National Center for Laboratory and Epidemiology (NCLE), the Ministry of Health of Lao People’s
Democratic Republic, with support from the WHO Regional Office for Western Pacific, are working with
communities to ensure early detection of potential outbreaks of COVID-19 in Lao PDR.
Today’s Subject in Focus highlights recently published WHO guidance on Safe Eid al Adha practices in
the context of COVID-19.
Globally 16 558 289 cases (215 127) 656 093 deaths (5 274)
Africa 738 344 cases (12 239) 12 519 deaths (262)
Americas 8 840 524 cases (111 562) 342 635 deaths (2 984)
Eastern Mediterranean 1 507 734 cases (13 037) 38 815 deaths (444)
Europe 3 283 277 cases (20 993) 211 616 deaths (705)
South-East Asia 1 892 056 cases (53 676) 42 233 deaths (867)
Western Pacific 295 613 cases (3 620) 8 262 deaths (12)
Subject in Focus: Safe Eid al Adha practices in the context of COVID-19
The Eid al Adha, also called Eid Qurban (“Feast of the sacrifice”) is a celebration observed by
Muslims worldwide, during which families and friends unite to pray and give alms, usually meat
from animals that have been sacrificed (hence the name).
Festivities may last from one to a few days, and are characterized by many social and religious
gatherings. During the COVID-19 pandemic, precautions need to be taken to prevent transmission
of the virus. On 25 July 2020, WHO published interim guidance entitled Safe Eid al Adha practices in
the context of COVID-19 that provides guidance applicable across different national contexts.
WHO recommends that any decision on mass gatherings should be based on a careful assessment of
all risk factors associated with the event. Guidance documents and tools have been developed to
this effect. Steps to be taken include risk evaluation, risk management and risk communication – the
latter of which has the aim of sharing with communities the rationale for the decisions taken, the
measures applied and any residual risk.
Based on this risk-based approach, the decision may be taken to cancel a planned event or make it
virtual. If, on the contrary, it is decided to proceed with an event, key precautions should be
implemented, including basic measures for enforcing physical distancing of at least one metre
(three feet) between people at all times, frequent hand cleaning, and respiratory etiquette.
The slaughter of an animal is central to Eid al Adha. As such, the interim guidance also focuses on
precautions that should be observed on these occasions. Although evidence indicates that infected
humans can infect other mammals, it remains unclear if the reverse can also occur. Animals that
have been shown to be able to be infected by SARS-CoV-2 include dogs, cats and farmed mink are
not typically sacrificed during Eid al Adha. Nevertheless, it is well known that several infectious
diseases can be transmitted at the human-animal interface. As such, countries are advised to follow
general precautionary measures relating to animal management, meat processing, and
marketplaces as recommended by national and international food safety and hygiene regulations.
Precautions should also be applied by the faithful when distributing meat to those in need, so that
remembrance, charity and care for others can safely remain at the core of Eid al Adha’s celebrations
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The interim guidance is currently available in Arabic, English, French and Russian.
Surveillance
Figure 1. Number of confirmed* COVID-19 cases reported in the last seven days by country, territory or area, 23 July to 29 July **
62 0 0 0 Sporadic cases 31
French Polynesia
Northern Mariana Islands 40 0 2 0 Pending 2
(Commonwealth of the)
New Caledonia 22 0 0 0 Sporadic cases 14
Subtotal for all regions 16 557 548 215 127 656 080 5 274
Other† 741 0 13 0 Not applicable -
Grand total 16 558 289 215 127 656 093 5 274
**See Annex 1 for data, table and figure notes.
Technical guidance and other resources
– To view all technical guidance documents regarding COVID-19, please go to this webpage.
– Updates from WHO regional offices
Case definitions
WHO periodically updates the Global Surveillance for human infection with coronavirus
disease (COVID-19) document which includes surveillance definitions.
A COVID-19 death is defined for surveillance purposes as a death resulting from a clinically
compatible illness in a probable or confirmed COVID-19 case, unless there is a clear
alternative cause of death that cannot be related to COVID-19 disease (e.g. trauma). There
should be no period of complete recovery between the illness and death.
Further guidance for certification and classification (coding) of COVID-19 as cause of death is
available here and here.
Annex 1: Data, table and figure notes
Caution must be taken when interpreting all data presented. Differences are to be expected
between information products published by WHO, national public health authorities, and
other sources using different inclusion criteria and different data cut-off times. While steps
are taken to ensure accuracy and reliability, all data are subject to continuous verification and
change. Case detection, definitions, testing strategies, reporting practice, and lag times differ
between countries/territories/areas. These factors, amongst others, influence the counts
presented, with variable underestimation of true case and death counts, and variable delays
to reflecting these data at global level.
The designations employed, and the presentation of these materials do not imply the
expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of WHO concerning the legal status of
any country, territory or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its
frontiers or boundaries. Dotted and dashed lines on maps represent approximate border
lines for which there may not yet be full agreement. Countries, territories and areas are
arranged under the administering WHO region.
The mention of specific companies or of certain manufacturers’ products does not imply
that they are endorsed or recommended by WHO in preference to others of a similar
nature that are not mentioned. Errors and omissions excepted, the names of proprietary
products are distinguished by initial capital letters.
[1]
All references to Kosovo should be understood to be in the context of the United Nations
Security Council resolution 1244 (1999). In the map, number of cases of Serbia and Kosovo
(UNSCR 1244, 1999) have been aggregated for visualization purposes.
*
A small number of countries/territories/areas report combined probable and laboratory-
confirmed cases; efforts are underway to identify these for notation in the data table.†Other:
includes cases reported from international conveyances.
Due to the recent trend of countries conducting data reconciliation exercises which remove
large numbers of cases or deaths from their total counts, WHO will now display such data as
negative numbers in the “new cases” / “new deaths” columns as appropriate. This will aid
readers in identifying when such adjustments occur. When additional details become
available that allow the subtractions to be suitably apportioned to previous days, graphics will
be updated accordingly. Prior situation reports will not be edited; see covid19.who.int for the
most up-to-date data.
i
Transmission classification is based on a process of country/territory/area self-reporting.
Classifications are reviewed on a weekly basis and may be revised as new information
becomes available. Differing degrees of transmission may be present within
countries/territories/areas; classification is based on the highest category reported within
a country/territory/area. Categories:
• Update 29 July 2020, Spain: Counts adjusted retrospectively by national authorities: case
and death counts adjusted from 11 May to 28 July.
• Update 29 July 2020, Belgium: Counts adjusted retrospectively by national authorities: case
and death counts adjusted from 3 April to 28 July.