HAITI Coronavirus UPDATE: Confirmed Cases
Haiti President Jovenel Moise announced last night two confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Haiti, prompting drastic public health measures, including:
Closing all schools, universities, and factories until further notice.
Banning all gatherings larger than 10 people.
Curfew 8pm-5am starting today.
Closing all ports, airports, and borders, except for transport of merchandise.
At Espwa, we have initiated public health and relief efforts in partnership with Overture International, including:
Dismissal of students from school today and closing our schools until further notice.
Students will be sent home with a month of meals (Mannapack, nutrient-dense food packages).
Food distributions are being arranged in our other extremely vulnerable program locations, Camp Perrin and Tiburon.
Espwa employees will also receive food support today.
Students received a 1 month supply of food before being dismissed from campus today.
With the announcement of confirmed cases in the country, people are panicking as stores are beginning to close indefinitely. For a population already experiencing extreme food insecurity, the closure of markets means uncertainty about where or when their next meal will be.
We are making every effort to provide support for the children served by Espwa and their families. We will continue to provide regular updates.
We continue to pray for every country making difficult decisions in order to prevent the spread of Coronavirus. We pray for you and your family, for all are adjusting to a new normal, and we pray for our Haitian brothers and sisters. May we all find faith, hope and love – and especially PEACE - during this difficult time.
Thank you for considering a sacrificial gift to support the children in Haiti in an effort to help prevent an epidemic there.