| COVID-19 pandemic in Palau | |
|---|---|
| Disease | COVID-19 |
| Virus strain | SARS-CoV-2 |
| Location | Palau |
| First outbreak | Wuhan, China |
| Arrival date | 31 May 2021[1] |
| Confirmed cases | 6,372[2] |
Deaths | 10[2] |
| Fatality rate | 0.16% |
| Vaccinations | 18,281 (fully vaccinated)[3] |
| Government website | |
| http://www.palauhealth.org | |
TheCOVID-19 pandemic in Palau was part of theworldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused bysevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus was confirmed to have reachedPalau on 31 May 2021.[1] By August 2021, Palau had one of the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the world with approximately 84% of its population fully vaccinated. The majority of cases in Palau were recorded in 2022.
On 12 January 2020, theWorld Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that anovel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.[4][5]
Thecase fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower thanSARS of 2003,[6][7] but thetransmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.[8][6]
_-_Infizierte_(800px).svg)
_-_Tote_(800px).svg)
Palau began implementing border controls early on.[9] The President ofPalauThomas Remengesau Jr. issued an executive order suspending all charter flights fromChina,Macau, andHong Kong from 1–29 February 2020.[10] By March, the country's borders were closed.[9] Schools were also shut starting in April.[11] Remengesau eventually suspended travel to Palau.[12]
The order also quarantined all non-citizens who recently entered the country for fourteen days.[13]
On 1 April 2021 Palau andTaiwan established a "travel bubble", allowing people to travel between the two countries, with restrictions.[14] The following month Palauan Minister of HealthEmais Roberts said that the Taiwan bubble had become a "mute[sic] issue now" due to travel restrictions introduced between the countries as a result ofTaiwan's rising COVID-19 cases.[15]
Palau registered its first case of COVID-19 on 31 May 2021. PresidentSurangel Whipps Jr. said that the patient was at low risk of infecting others and that the close contacts of the patient had returned negative test results. PresidentSurangel Whipps Jr. also highlighted that the majority of the population had been vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2.[1] On 11 June 2021, a second case was reported.[16] No new cases were recorded by 24 August.[17]
 | This graph was using thelegacy Graph extension, which is no longer supported. It needs to be converted to thenew Chart extension. |
| State | Cases | References |
|---|---|---|
| Aimeliik | 55 | |
| Airai | 506 | |
| Angaur | 21 | |
| Hatohobei | 0 | |
| Kayangel | 2 | |
| Koror | 2,841 | |
| Melekeok | 36 | |
| Ngaraard | 97 | |
| Ngarchelong | 42 | |
| Ngardmau | 25 | |
| Ngatpang | 41 | |
| Ngchesar | 38 | |
| Ngeremlengui | 92 | |
| Ngiwal | 62 | |
| Peleliu | 97 | |
| Sonsorol | 0 | |
| Unknown | 32 | |
| 14/16 | 3,987 | [18] |
Palauans began receivingCOVID-19 vaccines in 2021.[9] As a member of theCompact of Free Association with theUnited States, Palau has received vaccines fromOperation Warp Speed.[9][19] According to the Ministry of Health, vaccination started on 3 January and as of 12 April 40% of the population was fully vaccinated.[20] By 26 May, an estimated 96% of adults (18 and over) in the country had been fully vaccinated.[16] By the time the first case was detected, 97% of the adult population was vaccinated, about 70% of all Palauans. Plans were also announced to start vaccinating adolescents from 12 to 17.[1]
By early August 2021, 65% of 12 to 17 year olds had at least one dose of the vaccine, resulting in 80% of the eligible population being fully vaccinated.[21] As of 24 August 2021, 14,938 adults have received at least 1-dose with 14,447 of those being fully vaccinated. A further 1,146 adolescents (aged 12 to 17 years old) have received at least 1-dose with 835 of those being fully vaccinated.[17] Palau's population is approximately 18,092, meaning approximately 84.5% of the total population is fully vaccinated.[22]