Updated April 21, 2020

121 confirmed cases including:

• 77 in treatment
• 44 cured

Positive screening test rate: 5%.

Official launch of the remedy: COVID-ORGANICS

The Malagasy State officially launched the distribution of “CVO” or “Covid-Organics”, an improved traditional remedy, based on a medicinal plant called artemisia which has curative and preventive virtues to fight coronavirus symptoms. The production of this remedy is entrusted to the Malagasy Institute for Applied Research (IMRA).

New provisions on the state of emergency and lockdown applied from Monday, April 20:

1) Progressive lockdown exit: movements

• The curfew is maintained throughout the country. It is now from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m., instead of 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
• From Monday, April 20, people going out of their homes will be required to wear masks. A free distribution is planned from April 20 to 26^th, in the towns that have registered contact cases (Antananarivo, Toamasina and Fianarantsoa).
• Starting from Monday, April 27, anyone not wearing a mask will be required to perform community service (cleaning of gardens, schools or streets). 

• The gathering of more than 50 people remains prohibited (cultural and sports events…).
• Those residing in Antananarivo, Fianarantsoa and Toamasina are not allowed to leave their area of residence.

2) Progressive resumption of work: Civil servants, private sector, liberal professions, and restaurants

1. resumption will be limited to a half day of work, from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.
2. As for civil servants, the minimum service already established will be maintained. The organization will depend on each Minister and Ministry. 

3. Actors in the Private sector are invited to organize themselves according to their fields of activity.
4. Liberal professions will gradually resume starting from Wednesday, April 22. This resumption will be accompanied by health measures:

         –       A maximum of 5 people is allowed in shared spaces.

         –       A minimum distance of 1 meter must be kept.

         –       Masks must be worn.

         –       Hygiene measures must be adopted.

         –       All activities must end at 1 p.m. 


• Restaurants are allowed to receive clients on site until 1:00 p.m. Beyond that time, activities will continue exclusively through a home delivery system.

3) Public transportation

• Taxis are allowed to transport a maximum of 3 passengers (1 in the front and 2 in the back).
• Buses (taxi be) will be allowed to circulate but without the folding seats at aisle level. Transporting standing passengers is strictly forbidden. Moreover, the maximum number of passengers will be limited to 18 per bus. Failure to comply with these measures is liable to impoundment.
• Masks must be worn by passengers and drivers.
• Taxi brousse departing from Antananarivo, Fianarantsoa and Toamasina are not yet allowed to circulate.
• All public transport vehicles will be compulsorily disinfected. 


4) Education sector

As for the education sector, the gradual resumption is scheduled as follows: Wednesday, April 22, for students in the 12^th and 9^th grades and Monday, April 27 for students in the 5^th grade. This will also follow a few conditions: 

• Masks will be distributed to all students.
• The Covid-Organics will also be distributed for free to the students in order to protect them against the Covid-19.
• In the classrooms, each student will use an individual bench and health measures must be respected.

Updated April 6, 2020

82 confirmed cases including:

• 0 deaths
• 2 cured
• 54 imported cases and 28 contact cases

Of the remaining 80 patients:

• 63 are asymptomatic
• 17 are symptomatic

The State has decreed the continuity of the state of emergency for 15 days.

For the regions of Analamanga (Antananarivo), Antsinanana (Toamasina) and Haute Matsiatra (Fianarantsoa), the lockdown is extended until April 19.

Additional measures are also being adopted:

• The wearing of face masks on the streets as well as in workplaces.
• The setting up of hand-washing stations, disinfection of all parking lots and vehicles and the provision of hand sanitizers for vehicles.

Exceptional measures are also being put in place to allow persons confined in one of the three regions concerned to return to their regions of origin. Travels by taxi brousse are therefore exceptionally authorized from April 7 to 9, between 5 a.m. and 11 a.m

During the same period, the State authorizes the resumption of regional flights between Antananarivo and the regions where no contact cases have been identified so far, i.e. flights linking Antananarivo to Mahajanga, Toliara, Taolagnaro, Nosy Be, Morondava and Antsiranana.

All these trips are subject to strict sanitary measures.

All the measures relating to the state of emergency remain in force until April 19 throughout the territory of Madagascar:

• The curfew between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m.
• The closure of all schools and universities
• The closure of churches
• The closure of nightclubs and other party venues as well as cultural and sporting venues.
• A ban on any gathering of more than 50 people.
• A ban on movement except for vehicles transporting goods and persons with special authorizations from the competent authorities.

Community committees called “Loharano” will be set up to ensure the proper conduct, control and observation of the distribution of goods and equipment donated by the State for residents in each fokontany (neighbourhood).

Updated March 31, 2020

50 confirmed cases with:

• 48 imported cases and 2 contact cases.
• 39 asymptomatic and 11 symptomatic
• 0 deaths

The State is implementing a programme of rapid diagnostic testing, which will take place from March 31to April 2, for the 5,000 or so passengers who travelled from abroad on flights from March 11 to March 19, 2020.

On the media and social networks, the awareness-raising on confinement is supported by the mobilization of a dozen local celebrities as well as the BAREA champions- the national football team, who succeeded in uniting the Malagasy people through their first qualification for the African Cup of Nations (CAN) in 2019.

Updated March 27, 2020

Establishment of a COVID-19 operational command center.

26 confirmed cases, including 4 symptomatic patients

General measures:

• Curfew between 8:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.
• Confinement for 15 days from Monday, March 23, except for shops and suppliers of basic necessities, banks, drugstores, and persons with special permissions to move around.

Closing of exits and installation of sanitary barriers in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar. 

Suspension of all flights to and from Antananarivo and Toamasina (main port of the Island).

Permanent mobilization of the National Television for awareness raising and transmission of information in real time.

Tax measures for businesses:

• Deferral and/or suspension of tax declarations and payments
• Suspension of tax audits until May 31

Support for needy and homeless families:

• Provision of basic necessities at reduced prices,
• Accommodation provided by the urban commune of Antananarivo, and distribution of basic necessities for the homeless.   

Updated March 17, 2020

All international flights without exception will be suspended for 30 days starting from Friday, 20 March 2020.

Source : Statement from the President of the Republic on 17/03/2020

Updated March 16, 2020

The Malagasy authorities have decided, as a preventive and protective measure, that all passengers from Europe arriving in Madagascar before Thursday, 19 March will be subject to new strict health control measures followed by systematic quarantine.

During this period, the Malagasy authorities are providing two 14-day quarantine options, i.e. :

• Self-isolation (at the passenger’s home or temporary accommodation) with regular checks to monitor the passenger’s state of health.
  OR
• Health authority quarantine at the Malagasy authorities’ expense.
  All passengers who wish to stay in Madagascar are asked to submit to these measures by signing a solemn undertaking on arrival.

Source: President’s Office of the Republic of Madagascar (16/03/2020)

Updated March 15, 2020

Subsequent to instructions from the President of the Republic of Madagascar dated 14 March 2020, the Madagascar Civil Aviation authorities (ACM) confirm that :

• Flights to and from Madagascar and Europe, Reunion and Mayotte will be suspended as of Thursday, 19 March 2020
• Madagascar residents who have stayed in the aforesaid countries may therefore return to the country by Thursday, 19 March 2020
• Until further notice, airlines serving Madagascar may not take passengers from Europe, Reunion and Mayotte, or who have been in/passed through those areas in the 14 days prior to boarding. Otherwise, the airline involved will have to bear the full cost of their mandatory quarantine.

These measures will be enforced until 18 April 2020 and may be extended as the situation develops.

Source: Circular from the Aviation Civile de Madagascar (15/03/2020)

Updated March 14, 2020

To date, no cases of Coronavirus have been detected in Madagascar.

The authorities of Madagascar have taken a series of preventive measures to minimize the introduction and possible circulation of COVID-19 on its territory.

These measures include the suspension of all flights from Europe, namely Italy, France, Germany and Spain, for a period of 30 days.

In addition, flights from La Reunion and Mayotte will be temporarily suspended.

However, those who wish to return to the country can do so until Thursday, March 19, 2020.
Moreover, it has been decided that the International Airport of Ivato will be the only connecting airport for the other countries which are not concerned. And all airports in the provinces will no longer accommodate flights starting from Sunday, March 15, 2020.

During the same period, cruise ships will no longer be able to dock in Malagasy coasts.

Source: Presidency of the Republic

Updated March 12, 2020

Systematic disinfection measures are undertaken for all passengers arriving in Madagascar.

Source : Council of Ministers on 11/3/2020