The US Has Locked Down The Embassy in Afghanistan Amid a Surge in Covid-19

 

A near-complete lockdown has been ordered by the US embassy in Afghanistan because of a massive spike in coronavirus cases among employees.

The embassy in Kabul is already on uncertain footing due to the imminent withdrawal of the American forces from the country it has ordered the remaining staffers on Thursday to go into virtual isolation to prevent the spread of Covid-19 that has already killed one person and has sent 114 into quarantine and forced several other people to be medically evacuated.

The embassy has also said in a notice to the employees that almost all group activities, including recreational gatherings and work meetings, are banned because intensive care units at military medical facilities in Afghanistan are at full capacity and the number of cases has forced it to establish temporary Covid-19 wards to care for patients requiring oxygen.

It has been said that the restrictions will remain in place until the chain of transmission is broken. Violators are going to be removed from the country on the next available flight. The notice also said that 95 percent of the cases involved people who have not been vaccinated or fully vaccinated against the virus and has urged all the staff to take advantage of the vaccines that are available at the embassy.

Ross Wilson, the acting US ambassador also said that they must break the chain of transmission to protect one another and ensure that the nation’s business is carried out by the mission’s ability. He also said in the notice that the restrictions will continue until the chain of transmission is broken.

He further added that they are all in this together and also rely on cooperation during this very difficult time. He said that they can only return to normal operations with the cooperation of everyone.

The restrictions confine all the personnel at the Kabul embassy to their living quarters except to exercise or relax and to get food outside by themselves. This requirement has banned all sports and means personnel must stay at least 20 feet from others unless they are wearing a mask.

The announcement has been distributed to the journalists and others by the American Foreign Service Association, the union that represents the foreign diplomats.

The association spoke about the outbreak and said that at a time when the US military withdrawal is accelerating and the attacks on Afghan and coalition forces are intensifying and the US is seeking to establish a positive and stable presence in Afghanistan after the withdrawal, the damage to the US national interest and national security is potentially grave.

The association also issued a call for the Biden administration to require all staffers at all the US embassies and consulates abroad to be vaccinated against Covid-19 as a condition of their employment.

The state department has also acknowledged that Afghanistan is suffering an intense third wave of Covid-19 cases and the embassy has adjusted operations.