Mongolia pins hopes on vaccine, containment after its first coronavirus death

After being praised in November for its low infection rates, the country has now reported a total of over 1,000 Covid-19 cases

The government is considering various inoculation options, but analysts say there is some resistance in the country to a vaccine from China

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A May drill to prepare for Covid-19 in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:00pm, 29 Dec 2020Updated: 11:00pm, 29 Dec 2020

Mongolia reported its first Covid-19 death over the weekend, sending a clear signal that even in one of Asia’s best-performing countries when it comes to pandemic control, the coronavirus shows no signs of abating. And while Mongolia has not made a final decision on its choice of vaccines, some analysts say that those from one of its closest neighbours, China, do not appear to be high on its wish list.

Before the death of a 76-year old woman from Covid-19 on Saturday, the country of 3.4 million had reported no fatalities from the disease since its first Covid-19 case was discovered in March. The woman was said to have other prior health complications, including high blood pressure, diabetes and hepatitis C, reported national news agency Montsame.

On Monday, the country reported 16 new cases, bringing the total number of cases to 1,098, with 711 recoveries. But as recently as early November, there had been no local transmissions and only 346 imported cases before a surge occurred.

Some analysts attributed the low infection rates to the fact that Mongolia is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world. However, many also credited the government for closing its border to China on January 22, and to the rest of the world in March.

In a November 2 report, the World Health Organization (WHO) praised Mongolia’s emergency preparedness system, which involved setting up a multisectoral management team of 70 officials from 21 agencies covering areas such as health, transport, border control, law enforcement, state administration and emergency management. “The foundations of the shared strategy were solidarity, early preventive measures, multisectoral partnership and a culture of continuous improvement,” the WHO said at the time.

But the surge in the country in early November, including the first locally transmitted case, prompted authorities to announce a curfew in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, where residents were asked to stay home and leave only to buy food and essentials. All businesses, except for essential services, were also closed.

People wearing face masks queue to vote outside a polling station in Ulaanbaatar on June 24. Photo: AFP

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