In recent weeks, an increase in the detection of Covid-19 cases has been noted in Cape Verde, with a greater concentration observed on the island of Santiago, as announced by INSP.
Given this scenario, the public health institute recommended the implementation of preventive measures, especially in enclosed spaces with poor ventilation or where there is large crowds. INSP also advises individuals with respiratory symptoms to avoid close contact with others and to intensify care to reduce the risk of transmission.
According to the most recent data available on the official INSP portal, the island of Santiago concentrates the majority of the records. Specifically, the city of Praia reports the highest number of cases (82), followed by the municipalities of Santa Catarina (30), São Domingos (25), São Lourenço dos Órgãos (16), São Miguel (11), and Santa Cruz (three).
Outside the island of Santiago, the island of São Vicente registered eight cases, while Fogo accounted for one case in the municipality of Mosteiros, and São Nicolau registered one case in the municipality of Ribeira Brava.
In February 2025, health specialists informed Lusa that Cape Verde has advanced infrastructure to deal with diseases, taking advantage of the five-year anniversary of the arrival of Covid-19 in Africa. At that time, the president of the National Institute of Public Health (INSP), Maria da Luz Lima, declared that it was possible to quickly establish high-tech laboratories in the country, in addition to expanding others related to virology and implementing a genomic sequencing unit to monitor new threats.
These improvements allow the archipelago to perform viral disease diagnoses internally, eliminating the need to send samples abroad, which constitutes a significant progress compared to the period before the pandemic. The first Covid-19 case in Cape Verde was confirmed on March 19, 2020, and was a British tourist.
Data provided by the Ministry of Health indicates that, in total, Cape Verde has registered 64,109 Covid-19 cases and 414 deaths.
