An emergency telephone line for COVID-19 with the number 119 has been operating since Tuesday 24 March 2020.

This telephone line was announced by the Minister of Transport and Communications, José Agustinho da Silva, at the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers on Monday, March 23, 2020.

By calling 119, if you have symptoms of COVID-19, such as fever, cough or shortness of breath, you can contact health professionals free of charge, so that they can act quickly and activate existing mechanisms.

The Government calls on the public to use this telephone service responsibly, as inappropriate use can delay the response to serious situations and take up resources in the wrong way.

The free availability of this emergency line was supported by the country’s three telecommunications operators, Telemor, Telkomcel and Timor Telecom.

Currently, there is a confirmed case of COVID-19 in Timor-Leste and tests on ten other suspected cases have had a negative result.

The Ministry of Health calls on the population to remain calm and to adopt the following preventive measures:

1. Avoid agglomerations of people;
2. Stay at home and do not leave if there is no important need to do so;
3. Wash hands regularly with soap and water and/or use disinfectant;
4. Sneeze or cough on your flexed arm, or wear a handkerchief, and then throw the handkerchief in the trash after use and wash your hands with soap and water;
5. Avoid putting your hands on your face, eyes and mouth;
6. Keep a distance of at least one meter from people with febrile symptoms, coughing or sneezing;
7. Eat well cooked food and meat;
8. If you have symptoms such as cough, fever and breathing difficulties you should:

- wear a mask;

- stay at home;

- seek medical attention, please contact 119.