COVID-19 pandemic in South Ossetia

Last updated

COVID-19 pandemic in South Ossetia
Disease COVID-19
Virus strain SARS-CoV-2
Location South Ossetia (Georgia)
Index case Tskhinvali
Arrival date6 May 2020
(3 years, 1 month and 2 days)
Confirmed cases3,296 (as of 23 April 2021) [1]
Active cases333
Recovered2,903
Deaths
60 +

The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached South Ossetia [nb 1] in May 2020.

Contents

Background

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]

Timeline

March 2020

Many schools and businesses in South Ossetia were closed on 20 March. [7]

April 2020

Borders between Russia and Georgia were closed on 5 April. [7]

May 2020

The first three cases of COVID-19 in South Ossetia were confirmed on 6 May. One of the cases was a retired man from North Ossetia, who arrived in South Ossetia on 20 April, and has been quarantined in a hospital since then. Another case, from Vladikavkaz, was a 14-year-old student of the Suvorov Military School. The third case also came from Vladikavkaz, but further details are unknown. Contact tracing has been conducted for these cases. [7]

As of 24 May, there were a total of 37 cases in South Ossetia. [8]

November 2020

In November, the head of the Consular Agency of South Ossetia in Vladikavkaz delivered medicines to South Ossetia. The South Ossetian president Anatoliy Bibilov had appealed to the Ossetian diasporas and entrepreneurs to provide all possible assistance to the population of South Ossetia. [9]

December 2020

In December, the Russian Armed Forces withdrew their mobile hospital they had established in the South Ossetian capital. [10]

February 2021

In late February 2021, Politico Europe reported that South Ossetia has allocated the equivalent of $27,000 from its 2021 budget for purchases of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine. [11]

June 2021

In June, South Ossetian president Anatoliy Bibilov was vaccinated with the Sputnik vaccine. [12]

Response

South Ossetia is a disputed territory in the South Caucasus, recognized by Russia and a few other countries as an independent state, but regarded by most of international actors as part of Georgia. [13]

Early in the pandemic, senior Georgian government officials called on the WHO and other international organisations to provide support to people living in the two breakaways. They said Georgia would not block movement to and from the regions. Unlike Abkhazia, South Ossetia refused to cooperate with Georgia and blocked movement from or to Tbilisi-controlled territory in February 2020. The South Ossetian authorities refused to admit the specialists from the WHO and other international organisations unless they entered through Russia rather than Georgia although the border with Russia had also been closed in March 2020. [13]

According to the International Crisis Group, of the fellow ex-Soviet breakaways, South Ossetia is at greatest risk due to high percent of elderly population (17%), severely under-equipped medical facilities, lack of properly trained medical professionals, and failure to procure significant aid from Russia, which generally provides a majority of the region's needs. [13]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ South Ossetia's status is disputed. It considers itself to be an independent state, but this is recognised by only a few other countries. The Georgian government and most of the world's other states consider South Ossetia de jure a part of Georgia's territory.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Ossetia–Alania</span> First-level administrative division of Russia

North Ossetia, officially the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania, is a republic of Russia situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe. Its population according to the 2021 Census was 687,357. The republic's capital city is the city of Vladikavkaz, located on the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vladikavkaz</span> City in North Ossetia–Alania, Russia

Vladikavkaz, formerly known as Ordzhonikidze (Орджоники́дзе) and also known as Dzaudzhikau (Дзауджикау), is the capital city of North Ossetia-Alania, Russia. It is located in the southeast of the republic at the foothills of the Caucasus, situated on the Terek River. The city's population was 311,693 as of the 2010 Census. As a result, Vladikavkaz is one of the most populous cities in the North Caucasus region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Ossetia</span> Partially recognised state in the South Caucasus

South Ossetia, officially the Republic of South Ossetia – the State of Alania, is a partially recognised landlocked state in the South Caucasus. It has an officially stated population of just over 56,500 people (2022), who live in an area of 3,900 square kilometres (1,500 sq mi), with 33,000 living in the capital city, Tskhinvali.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgian–Ossetian conflict</span> 1989–present conflict between Georgia and the partially recognized South Ossetia

The Georgian–Ossetian conflict is an ethno-political conflict over Georgia's former autonomous region of South Ossetia, which evolved in 1989 and developed into a war. Despite a declared ceasefire and numerous peace efforts, the conflict remained unresolved. In August 2008, military tensions and clashes between Georgia and South Ossetian separatists erupted into the Russo-Georgian War. Since then, South Ossetia has been under Russian occupation.

Yury Ionovich Morozov is a Russian businessman and politician, and a former Prime Minister of South Ossetia. Morozov was confirmed by the Parliament of South Ossetia on 5 July 2005. 23 Out of 24 MPs present voted in favour of his candidacy. On 18 August 2008, it was announced that Morozov and his government had been dismissed by South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity. Kokoity said he thought the government was not handling the emergency aid from Russia, which was arriving after the 2008 South Ossetia war, good enough.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armed Forces of South Ossetia</span>

The Armed Forces of South Ossetia is the military of the partially recognised state of South Ossetia. It includes an Army and an Air Corps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alla Dzhioyeva</span> South Ossetian teacher turned politician

Alla Aleksandrovna Dzhioyeva is a South Ossetian teacher turned politician, who is currently Deputy Prime Minister in the South Ossetian government. She previously served as the Education Minister in 2002–2008. She won the 2011 presidential election, but the Supreme Court annulled the results, alleging that electoral fraud had been committed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anatoly Bibilov</span> President of South Ossetia from 2017 to 2022

Anatoly Ilyich Bibilov is a Russian and South Ossetian military officer, was the 4th President of South Ossetia. He succeeded Leonid Tibilov as president on 21 April 2017 to 24 May 2022, following his election victory, but was defeated by Alan Gagloev in the 2022 election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leonid Tibilov</span> President of South Ossetia from 2012 to 2017

Leonid Kharitonovich Tibilov is a South Ossetian politician who served as the President of South Ossetia from 2012 to 2017 after winning the 2012 South Ossetian presidential election.

Turkmenistan is the only sovereign country in the world that has not reported any cases of COVID-19. There were no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Turkmenistan, with the totalitarian government being proactive in censoring relevant information. It is however suspected to have spread in the country unreported; specifics are difficult to ascertain and confirm in absence of independent media.

The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached Transnistria in March 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 pandemic in Abkhazia</span> Details of ongoing viral pandemic in Republic of Abkhazia

The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached Abkhazia in April 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in South Ossetia</span>

Tourism in the breakaway state of the Republic of South Ossetia – the State of Alania, widely recognised internationally as being part of Georgia, is rare. It is illegal to enter South Ossetia under Georgian law. However, South Ossetia remains accessible through Russia via the South Ossetia–Russia border. Non-Russian citizens are required to hold a valid Russian visa that permits them to return to Russia, unless they are citizens of countries that are exempt from Russian visa requirements. Visitors, unless they hold a South Ossetian passport or are from an exempt country, such as Russia, are required to receive approval from the South Ossetian government in advance of their visit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 vaccination in Russia</span> Plan to immunize against COVID-19

The COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Russia is an ongoing mass immunization campaign against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), in response to the ongoing pandemic in the country. Russia became the first country to begin a mass COVID-19 vaccination programme on 5 December 2020, starting with primarily doctors, medical workers and teachers. In January 2021, this was extended to the entire population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 South Ossetian presidential election</span>

Presidential elections were held in the disputed territory of South Ossetia on 10 April 2022. As none of the presidential nominees obtained at least 50% of the votes, a runoff was held on 8 May 2022, between the top two candidates, Alan Gagloyev and incumbent president Anatoly Bibilov.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Proposed Russian annexation of South Ossetia</span> Proposed Russian annexation of part of Georgia

South Ossetia is a partially recognized and Russian-occupied separatist state internationally recognized as part of Georgia. It is mainly inhabited by Ossetians, an ethnic group also dominant in North Ossetia, which is part of Russia. South Ossetia separated itself from Georgia following the 1991–1992 South Ossetia War with the help of Russia, remaining ever since as a state closely allied with this country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Gagloev</span> President of South Ossetia

Alan Eduardovich Gagloev, also transliterated as Gagloyev, is a South Ossetian politician and former intelligence officer, who is the current president of South Ossetia since 2022. He also served as chairman of the Nykhaz party from 2020 to 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nykhaz</span> Political party in South Ossetia

Nykhaz is a political party in South Ossetia founded in 2013 by supporters of Independent president Leonid Tibilov.

Events in the year 2022 in South Ossetia.

References

  1. ↑ "No new coronavirus cases have been detected in South Ossetia for the second day in a row". cominf.org. 23 April 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  2. ↑ Elsevier. "Novel Coronavirus Information Center". Elsevier Connect. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  3. ↑ Reynolds, Matt (4 March 2020). "What is coronavirus and how close is it to becoming a pandemic?". Wired UK. ISSN   1357-0978. Archived from the original on 5 March 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Crunching the numbers for coronavirus". Imperial News. 13 March 2020. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  5. ↑ "High consequence infectious diseases (HCID); Guidance and information about high consequence infectious diseases and their management in England". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 3 March 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  6. ↑ "World Federation Of Societies of Anaesthesiologists – Coronavirus". www.wfsahq.org. Archived from the original on 12 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 "South Ossetia confirms first three cases of coronavirus". English Jamnews. 6 May 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  8. ↑ "COVID-19 Georgia Live Blog: Active Cases Decrease to 196". Civil Georgia. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  9. ↑ "Сообщение пресс-службы Министерства иностранных дел Республики Южная Осетия". South Ossetian Foreign Ministry. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  10. ↑ "Российские военные вернулись в Подмосковье после оказания помощи в полевом госпитале в Цхинвале" (in Russian). 29 December 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  11. ↑ "Russia's coronavirus vaccine makes inroads in conflict territories". 26 February 2021. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  12. ↑ "Анатолий Бибилов сделал прививку от коронавируса российским "Спутник V"" (in Russian). 25 June 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  13. 1 2 3 "The COVID-19 Challenge in Post-Soviet Breakaway Statelets". Crisis Group. 6 May 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.