[Global Times reporter Zhang Jidan] As the number of confirmed cases of new crown pneumonia in Afghanistan surged, the US Embassy in Afghanistan also broke out and was blocked on the 17th local time.
According to a CNN report on the 17th, more than 100 people in the embassy were infected with the new crown virus, and one person has died.
According to CNN, an internal notice issued by the US Embassy in Afghanistan on the 17th stated that a total of 114 people in the embassy were infected with the new crown virus, and one person has died and the infected person has been isolated.
The resources of the intensive care unit of the local US military hospital have been fully loaded, and the embassy has set up temporary wards to take care of patients with new coronary pneumonia who need oxygen.
The notice also mentioned that among embassy staff, 90% of employees from Afghanistan and other countries have been vaccinated against the new crown.
Eric Rubin, chairman of the American Diplomatic Service Association, said that this means that the main people infected with the new crown virus are American employees and contractors in the embassy.
The notice stated that from now on, embassy staff will be restricted to their dormitories and will not leave the dormitory unless they eat or exercise alone.
"Individuals can walk, run or relax outdoors without a mask, provided they are alone, which means they must maintain a distance of at least 20 feet (about 6 meters) from other people. Any close contact requires a mask. ." The notice stated that face-to-face indoor meetings are prohibited unless it is a "critical mission."
The notice also stated that the restrictive measures will continue until the (epidemic) transmission chain is broken and offenders will be immediately dismissed.
Due to the recent worsening of the new crown pneumonia epidemic in Afghanistan, the US Embassy in Afghanistan suspended visa operations last week.
The New York Times mentioned that the U.S. Central Command stated that at the time of the outbreak, the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan "has completed more than 50%."
Many Afghans who have worked for the United States are afraid of the Taliban's retaliation and are desperately trying to obtain visas to immigrate to the United States in the future. The embassy's decision to suspend business has greatly affected the "efforts" of these people.
According to the latest data from the Public Health Department of Afghanistan, on the 17th, there were 2,313 new confirmed cases of new coronary pneumonia and 101 deaths in Afghanistan, a record high since the outbreak. At present, the cumulative number of confirmed cases in Afghanistan has reached 98,844, and the cumulative number of deaths has reached 3943. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies warned that in the past month, the number of confirmed cases of new coronary pneumonia in Afghanistan has surged by 2,400%, and local medical equipment and resources are rapidly depleting. The Associated Press stated that there is a huge gap in the new crown vaccine in Afghanistan. The White House has promised that Afghanistan is one of the first countries to receive vaccine donations from the United States, but the exact number of vaccine doses and when it will be shipped to Afghanistan are still unknown.