Needs:

• As the number of COVID-19 cases increases, the Government needs to implement new mobility restriction measures. It is important to localize and evaluate prevention and response measures taken so far in PoE to face sanitary challenges.

• Need to strengthen testing at border posts: the discovery of new variants of the COVID 19 virus suggests that entry points, when not properly monitored and controlled, are enabling the spread of the disease. 73 people tested positive for COVID-19 between 15 and 21 March.

Response:

• Between December 2020 and February 2021, IOM collected data at 71 PoEs across nine regions through phone interviews with many key informants at health border points and border management posts. As a result, a mobility database mapping the location, status and different restrictions imposed at key PoEs was developed. The database will help national authorities, UN agencies, humanitarian organizations and other stakeholders to identify and develop adequate pandemic preparedness and response interventions at PoEs.

• As of 28 February, 15 out of 71 assessed PoEs have been completely open to traffic, mostly to allow transport of goods to landlocked neighboring countries, including the Central African Republic (CAR) and Chad.

• IOM provided the border health posts of Kentzou and Garoua Boulai in the East region with containers to house the COVID-19 testing teams.

Gaps & Constraints:

• Health workers are present only in 33 out of 64 PoEs assessed and 45 per cent of PoEs are having personal protection equipment and handwashing stations.

• 74 per cent of the PoEs does not have standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place to manage flows and detect travelers infected with the virus.