Sydney Gray Blog Post #1

    As we know, Covid-19 has affected almost everywhere around the globe. However, some countries have the resources to handle the pandemic better than others. The people in Mali are at a huge risk of getting covid-19. With a severe lack of food, water, medical care and hygiene, the threat of covid-19 means they are even more vulnerable than they were before the pandemic. It has been reported that international aid is becoming scarce in Mali and NGOs are worried the virus could spread fast where social distancing is impossible.

    Mali reported their first two cases on March 25th, and since then there has been a total of 2,842 coronavirus cases and 127 deaths. The pandemic is hitting them hard and as time has gone on it has only grown to affect more and more people. Reports show that Mali hit their peak between the end of May and middle of June. On June 10th, they had their highest number of daily cases which reached to be 81. On June 4th, Mali had 6 people pass away due to covid-19, with their first death being reported on March 30th, only 5 days after their first reported cases.


The Government of Mali has taken many additional steps to help reduce the spread of covid-19. Like many countries, face masks are mandatory in public. This is something that they are taking very seriously and if you do not wear a face mask you may be asked to return back home. Schools and universities have allowed students with mandatory exams to return, but they remain closed to most students so that they are not putting more people at risk when they can avoid it. Mali has also closed bars and night clubs, along with banning sporting events, festivals, and gatherings larger than 50 people. Mali has recently reopened their borders to the public but have implemented enhanced screening and quarantine measures to continue reducing the spread of covid-19. Nobody can travel without proof of a negative covid-19 test dated less than seven days before arrival. The government has also stated that travelers should be prepared for additional travel restrictions to go into effect with little or no advanced notice. While their borders are open for travel, they are not recommending anyone traveling in or out of the country. It has recently been reported that Mali is at a level 3 warning for covid-19, which is the highest level. Meaning it is not safe and at huge risk. CDC recommends travelers to avoid all nonessential international travel to Mali. This is a major issue because if you get sick in Mali and need medical care, the resources available may be limited. 

Overall, the people in Mali are having a difficult time during this worldwide pandemic. They are at a much higher risk than many other countries mainly because of their lack of medical resources and lack of hygiene. This makes it significantly more challenging for the people in Mali to get back to being healthy after getting infected with the coronavirus. This is why we are seeing the number of cases in Mali increase and stay steady rather than seeing a major decrease in the number of cases. Since they reported their first case at the end of March, their cases have significantly increased and they haven’t seen a pause in cases or a decrease really at all. Although they are taking the necessary precautions to help reduce the spread of covid-19, they are struggling to control it and it is taking them much longer to recover from this huge pandemic. 

Works Cited

U.S. Mission Mali | 16 June, 2. (2020, August 14). COVID-19 Information. Retrieved September 06, 2020, from https://ml.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/mali/

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