What's new

Coronavirus in Africa

MenInG

MenInG

PakPassion Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 2, 2004
Runs
217,995
Africa has seen its coronavirus cases pass the 1,000 mark this weekend. There are currently 1,198 confirmed cases of Covid-19, the continent's Centre for Disease Control has announced.

Uganda reported its first case last night after testing a passenger who had returned home from Dubai.

The confirmation came hours after President Yoweri Museveni had announced several crowd control measures including banning of all flight operations starting midnight on Sunday.

In neighbouring Rwanda, the government has announced that it may extend its 14-day lockdown which was imposed last week on Thursday.

Rwanda has so far recorded 17 cases of Covid-19, the most in the east Africa region.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo recorded its first Covid-19 related death after a doctor who had returned from France succumbed to the disease.

The Africa CDC has also announced 108 patients have recovered after contracting the virus:

Here is the full list of countries which have reported confirmed cases of Covid-19:

Algeria (102), Angola (2), Benin (2), Burkina Faso (75), Cameroon (27), Cape Verde (1), Central African Republic(3), Chad(1), Congo(2), Côte d'Ivoire (17), Djibouti (1), DRC (18)

Egypt (294), Equatorial Guinea (4), Eswatini (4), Ethiopia (9), Gabon (4), Gambia (1), Ghana (21), Guinea (2), Kenya (7), Liberia (3), Madagascar (3), Mauritius (14), Mauritania (2), Morocco (96), Namibia (3), Niger (1), Nigeria (25), Rwanda (17), Senegal (56), Seychelles (7), Somalia (1)

South Africa (240), Sudan (2), Tanzania (6), Togo (9), Tunisia (60), Uganda (1), Zambia (2), Zimbabwe (2). Territories (2) with cases: Mayotte (4), Reunion (47). Countries (10) with deaths (37): Algeria (15)

Burkina Faso (3), DRC (1), Egypt (10), Gabon (1), Ghana (1), Mauritius (1), Morocco (3), Sudan (1), Tunisia (1), Countries (11) with recoveries (108): Algeria (32), Burkina Faso (5), Cameroon (2), Côte d’Ivoire (1), Egypt (41), Ethiopia (4), Morocco (3), Nigeria (2), Senegal (5), South Africa (12), Tunisia (1)

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-51994675
 
NAIROBI/ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - More African nations confirmed their first cases of the coronavirus and shut borders amid fears of the disease’s impact on fragile health systems, as Chinese billionaire and Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma pledged to donate over 1 million testing kits to the continent.

Thirty African countries - more than half the continent - are now treating nearly 400 patients with coronavirus, after Tanzania, Liberia, Benin and Somalia said they registered their first cases.

Africa had until recently been spared the rapid spread of COVID-19, which has infected at least 180,000 people worldwide and caused over 7,000 deaths. But health experts are concerned the continent’s often dilapidated health infrastructure will struggle to cope as cases mount.

“We cannot ignore the potential risk to Africa and assume this continent of 1.3 billion people will blissfully escape the crisis. The world cannot afford the unthinkable consequences of a COV-19 pandemic in Africa,” Ma’s foundation said in a statement.

The foundation will send 1.1 million testing kits, 6 million masks and 60,000 protective suits and face shields to Ethiopia for distribution to Africa’s 54 nations, it said.

Earlier on Monday, the World Bank said it had committed $60 million to Kenya to help the East African nation battle the outbreak.

Some countries on the continent, such as conflict-hit Somalia, depend on donors to support basic public health facilities.

Somalian Health Minister Fawziya Abikar Nur said the ministry had quarantined and tested four Somalis who came from China last week, and one had tested positive for the respiratory disease. International flights to Somalia were suspended for two weeks, the aviation minister said.

In West Africa, the small and impoverished nation of Liberia announced its first case. Liberia was devastated by a 2014 Ebola epidemic that killed 4,000 people, and its healthcare system has remained underfunded despite promises of investment.

Benin, considered a relatively stable democracy in the turbulent West African region, also announced its first case. The Health Ministry said the Beninois national was being held in an isolation ward in the capital after returning from Belgium and Burkina Faso on March 11.

The Health Ministry in the East African nation of Tanzania also confirmed its first case, a Tanzanian woman who had traveled to Denmark, Sweden and Belgium. She had her temperature taken at the airport but had no fever and was allowed to pass, but later felt unwell at her hotel, the ministry said.

Also on Monday, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Senegal and Cameroon all reported more cases and South African Finance Minister Tito Mboweni said his nation, which has 62 cases so far, may need to raid other government departments for funds to fight the disease. He did not provide any figures.

Many African nations, including some without reported cases, have ordered tougher control measures, including bans on public gatherings, halting flights and closing schools and universities.

In northern Africa, Tunisia said it would suspend international flights and close its land border in an effort to contain the spread of the virus.

Botswana, in southern Africa, said on Monday it would bar entry to travelers from 18 high-risk countries, including China, Britain, the United States, Iran, France and Italy.

In West Africa, Senegal said it would suspend flights to and from France, Italy, Spain, Belgium and Portugal, as well as Tunisia and Algeria, for a period of 30 days.

Ivory Coast said it would bar entry to travelers from countries with over 100 cases, although Ivorian citizens and residents would be allowed to return if they went into quarantine for 14 days. It also closed schools, nightclubs and cinemas and banned gatherings of over 50 people, according to a national security council statement.

Ethiopia, Africa’s second-largest nation, joined the growing list of countries that closed schools for two weeks, suspended all large gatherings and canceled all sports events, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s office said.

Government buses will give people free rides to curb overcrowding in the public transport system, a statement said.

In Central Africa, Congo Republic said it would suspend all flights from high-risk countries from Thursday. Neighboring Gabon reduced the number of flights from abroad to one a week per airline and ordered restaurants to close, barring takeout and delivery.

Nigeria’s Health Ministry said the country, Africa’s most populous, had strengthened contact tracing, stockpiled reagents used in test kits and increased testing capacity.

Also on Monday, Kenyan police raided a clinic alleged to be selling fake coronavirus testing kits. Police detained staff and locked the facility, witnesses told Reuters journalists at the scene, after it had been advertising testing kits online.


https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...us-cases-as-jack-ma-pledges-aid-idUSKBN2131IA
 
Sudan imposes 10-hour night-time curfew to curb coronavirus spread

Sudan will impose a nationwide curfew every night starting on Tuesday, beginning at 8 pm (1800 GMT) and lasting until 6 am to help curb the spread of the coronavirus, a member of the ruling transitional council said on Monday.
 
Coronavirus can do bigger damage to Africa than subcontinent.

Africans need to be very careful with this virus.

All the best.
 
Nigerian army prepares for coronavirus lockdown, mass burials

The Nigerian Army is preparing to forcibly transfer the sick to hospital and enforce curbs on movement to try to shield the country from the coronavirus, and is leasing equipment for “possible mass burial”, according to an army memo seen by Reuters.

The memo from Army headquarters also outlines plans to protect government food storage from looters as Africa’s most populous nation braces for the illness to spread further in the country.

“Following the rise and continuous spread in cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria, the (Chief of Army Staff) has deemed it necessary for all to take protective measures to ensure the safety of (army) personnel and their families,” the memo said.

There are currently 46 confirmed cases in Nigeria, and one death, but the infection has hit the top levels of society, infecting President Muhammadu Buhari’s chief of staff.

With a population of 200 million, 20 million of whom are packed into the commercial capital of Lagos, many fear the virus could spread quickly without containment.

The memo said the army was suspending leave passes for all personnel and called for them to be on “maximum security alert and be ready for deployment.”

Nigerian Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed told the heads of parliament’s two houses that the government would release 6.5 billion naira ($18 million) to the National Centre for Disease Control to help fight the virus, the Senate president’s office said in a statement.

And the central bank said it would remain open amid the global outbreak to ensure “monetary and price stability”.

Also on Wednesday, the governor of the southern Rivers State said he would close the state’s borders to people crossing from Thursday.

The state’s capital, Port Harcourt, is the gateway to the oil-rich Delta region, and companies such as Nigeria LNG and Royal Dutch Shell have key offices in the city.

Oil provides more than half of Nigeria’s government revenue.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ronavirus-lockdown-mass-burials-idUSKBN21C2B2
 
African states have been stepping up efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Infection rates on the 54-nation continent are still low - 2,700 cases in 46 states.

There are fears that the number will rise rapidly because of cross-infections, overwhelming health services on the mainly poor continent.

In the latest developments:

Uganda has banned all public transport with immediate effect, creating fear and panic in the capital, Kampala. The security forces have shutting down businesses in the capital and Kampala's streets are now mainly deserted

Nigeria, Africa’s most-populous state with an estimated population of 200 million, says it will ban all travel in the country, but has not yet indicated from when

In Kenya, East Africa’s biggest economy, President Uhuru Kenyatta has announced a night-time curfew from Friday
Kenya's president has also taken an 80% pay cut, as he prepares the nation for tough economic times - and has urged other officials to follow suit

Meanwhile, Germany says it will not be paying for six-million face masks it had ordered but had not received after they went missing at an airport in Kenya

Back in Nigeria the government received a donation, including 100,000 face masks, from Chinese billionaire Jack Ma

In South Africa, leading evangelist Andy Buchan says he has tested positive for Covid-19, while local media reports that a man who won 7.4m rand ($426,000; £354,000) in the lottery will have to wait until the nationwide lockdown ends to pick up the money. The three-week shut down starts on Friday, and panic-buying is continuing
 
South African security forces have begun enforcing a three-week nationwide lockdown in an effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

All but essential movement is forbidden and both the army and the police are enforcing the measures.

Ahead of the midnight deadline there were long queues outside supermarkets as people stocked up on essentials.

South Africa has reported 927 coronavirus infections - the highest in Africa - but so far no deaths.

Late on Thursday, President Cyril Ramaphosa visited soldiers before they were deployed from a base in the Soweto township of Johannesburg.

"I send you out to go and defend our people against coronavirus," he said, wearing a camouflage uniform.

"This is unprecedented, not only in our democracy but also in the history of our country, that we will have a lockdown for 21 days to go out and wage war against an invisible enemy, coronavirus."

Food shops are allowed to stay open although alcohol sales are banned - Police Minister Bheki Cele urged South Africans to stay sober during the lockdown. Jogging and dog walking are also prohibited.

On Thursday, heavy traffic was reported on the main roads out of Johannesburg, despite a government appeal not to go on long journeys.

Thousands of people thronged bus stations aiming to escape the capital and stay with family in rural areas, raising fears that they could take the virus to older relatives who are retired in farms and villages.

The authorities have warned that anyone violating the rules faces six months' imprisonment or a heavy fine.

"If people are not complying, they (the military) may be forced to take extraordinary measures," Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula warned.

South Africa has already closed schools and banned gatherings of more than 100 people.

Although Africa as a whole has not been hit as hard as other parts of the world by the virus, experts fear underfunded health services on the continent could be quickly overwhelmed by a sudden rise in cases.

In South Africa there are additional fears for people living with HIV - particularly the estimated 2.5 million in South Africa who are not taking anti-retroviral drugs.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52058717
 
Last edited:
South Africa started a three-week lockdown with the army and police officers patrolling the streets. Videos circulating on social media show officers at times using force to get people to toe the line

Zimbabwe is allowing people to use US dollars again, reversing last year's ban on foreign currencies - a move aimed at supporting the already struggling economy. The country is to begin a lockdown on Monday

The president of Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, has recalled disease control experts from overseas and announced new restrictions, including on shipping, and extra funding for Lagos state, which has registered 44 of Nigeria's 65 cases of coronavirus

A couple in Tanzania have been arrested for spreading false information - the pair were allegedly heard on a bus saying that coronavirus was a hoax.

Kinshasa - the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo - will start a three-week lockdown on Saturday. Residents will have to stay at home for four days and then be allowed to stock up on food on the following two days.

And the BBC has launched a Africa coronavirus live tracker, which shows that there are so far 3,450 confirmed cases on the continent.
 
A few days ago I was talking to a Senegalese friend regarding Covid19 and its possible impact in Africa and he was very worried for his family back home.

If superpowers like USA/China and the EU are struggling against it, just imagine how bad can it be for poorer African countries.

Stay safe my African brothers!
 
Human rights groups have condemned the "unnecessary and excessive use of force" by Kenyan police as the country imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew amid efforts to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.

On Friday, police fired tear gas at a crowd of ferry commuters in the port city of Mombasa before the 7pm to 5am curfew came into force, 20 human rights groups, including Amnesty International, said in a statement on Saturday.

This forced hundreds of people to touch their faces as they vomited, spat and wiped away tears, increasing the chance of the virus's spread, the statement added.

Some health workers even reported being intimidated by police officers as they tried to provide services after the curfew, according to the rights groups.

Elsewhere, officers were captured in mobile phone footage beating people with batons, causing uproar in the country.

"We continue to receive testimonies from victims, eyewitnesses and video footage showing police gleefully assaulting members of the public in other parts of the country," the rights groups said.

Kenya's interior ministry on Saturday replied to the criticism in a statement saying the curfew "is meant to guard against an apparent threat to public health. Breaking it is not only irresponsible but also puts others in harm's way".

The guidelines issued to security forces on the curfew say that police can use "proportionate force where non-violent means are inadequate to achieve the objectives of the curfew".

The government has not said how many people have been arrested. Because courts are also affected by the virus prevention measures, all but serious cases will now be dealt with at police stations, the government has said.

That means anyone detained for violating curfew faces time in crowded cells.

Kenya has so far confirmed 38 cases of the new coronavirus, which causes a highly infectious respiratory disease called COVID-19. The country has taken a series of measures to stop its spread, including shutting borders and banning most air travel.

The Law Society of Kenya will go to court to challenge the curfew on the grounds that it is "unconstitutional" and has been abused by police, President Nelson Havi said in a statement.

The penalty for breaking a curfew is not corporal punishment, he added.

"It is evident that COVID-19 will be spread more by actions of police than of those claimed to have contravened the curfew," Havi said.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...sive-force-curfew-begins-200328101357933.html
 
The virus has now spread to dozens of countries on the African continent with 2,650 confirmed infected and 49 dead.

A fence is being constructed at the border between South Africa and Zimbabwe despite a 21 day lockdown being in place. The fence, announced a week ago, aims to keep foreign nationals out of the country to combat the spread of the virus. Seven people in Zimbabwe have tested positive for COVID-19.

Somalia’s Al-Shabaab militants have refused to take part in a ceasefire called for by the UN Secretary General over the outbreak. The UN had urged all militant groups around the world to sign a ceasefire to allow the globe to tackle the virus.

Uganda has paused its open door policy for refugees and asylum seekers for 30 days. Those already in the country will be given help in line with the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health.

There are concerns in Malawi that the virus could threaten a rerun of the country’s elections slated for 2 July. The rerun was ordered by the country’s constitutional court.
 
With nearly 4,000 confirmed cases across Africa and 117 deaths, here are the latest updates from the region:

In Mali, people are voting in long-delayed parliamentary elections a day after the country reported its first death from Covid-19. Some opposition parties had called for it to be postponed.

In many countries, churches and other places of worship have closed their doors. In Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, pictures on social media show services taking place outdoors with the worshippers standing or sitting two metres apart.

South Africa has 1,187 cases - the largest number on the continent - and it is now in the third day of a three-week nationwide lockdown. The military has called up medics in its reserve force to help deal with the outbreak.

Zimbabwe and Ghana are set become the latest countries on the continent to impose full or partial lockdowns. On Monday, Zimbabwe, where there have been seven confirmed cases and one death, begins a 21-day stay-at-home period. At the same time, Ghana’s two biggest cities, Accra and Kumasi, will go into lockdown for a fortnight.
 
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered a lockdown of the capital Abuja and the country’s largest city Lagos.

In a televised address to the nation, he ordered the “cessation of all movements” in the cities for two weeks from 10:00 GMT on 30 March.

He said the measures would also apply to Ogun State.

"All citizens in these areas are to stay in their homes," he said. "All businesses and offices in the area should be fully closed."

He also said a special fund of $40 million had been set aside to help deal with the pandemic.

Nigeria has 97 confirmed cases of the virus and one death.
 
The president of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, has announced a lockdown in the cities of Lagos and Abuja in an effort to contain the spread of Covid-19.

The restrictions, which will start from 11pm local time (22:00 GMT) on Monday, will also apply to Ogun state, which borders Lagos.

The lockdown will take effect for an initial period of 14 days.

Mr Buhari said everybody would have to stay at home, all businesses and offices would have to close, and only food shops, hospitals and other essential service providers would remain open.
 
'We'll die of hunger first': Despair as Zimbabwe lockdown begins

Harare, Zimbabwe - It was still early on Sunday morning when Stewart Dzivira, his wife and their two-year-old son, jumped on a bus in Glen View, a densely populated suburb of Harare, to head into Zimbabwe's capital.

For days now, the 33-year-old has been unsuccessfully trying to get maize meal, or mealie meal, a Zimbabwean staple that has been in short supply following a devastating drought two years ago.

"We desperately need to get maize now that there is a lockdown," Dzivira told Al Jazeera, holding his son while sitting on the concrete pavement outside a miller's building in central Harare.

He was not alone. Hundreds of others were queueing alongside him on the eve of the start of a three-week lockdown imposed by the government to contain the spread of COVID-19, the highly infectious respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus.

"All citizens are required to stay at home, with the exception of those seeking health services, buying food, medicine and vital supplies, and those manning our essential services," President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Friday as he announced the lockdown.

"I know that these measures may seem drastic, and will upset all of our daily lives, but there is no other way," added Mnangagwa, two weeks after declaring a "national disaster" and banning gatherings of more than 100 people.

As of Sunday, COVID-19 had infected seven people in Zimbabwe and caused the death of one person, 30-year-old broadcaster Zororo Makamba.

The threat of the new disease could not have come at a worse time for millions of Zimbabweans already struggling with a deepening economic crisis bringing soaring food prices, stagnant salaries, water shortages and daily power blackouts.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe's annual inflation soared to more than 500 percent in February. The unemployment rate stands at more than 90 percent, medicines are scarce, and depleted state coffers mean that the government is unable to purchase sufficient supplies for the already weakened state-run medical facilities.

In December last year, the World Food Programme warned that Zimbabwe was facing its worst hunger crisis in 10 years with half of the population - 7.7 million people - food insecure.

"We know there is corona[virus] in the country, but we will die of hunger first if we don't get mealie meal," Dzivira said.

Dzivira is one of the millions of unemployed Zimbabweans who depend on informal jobs to put food on the table.

Under the lockdown, he doubts he will be able to go out and find any menial job - his source of income - in and around Harare.

"I don't know how I will be surviving during the lockdown period," said Dzivira whose daily diet comprises three meals of sadza, a corn paste, and vegetables. "I hustle for food every day, and it's going to be a challenge for me and my family."

Dorothy Mazonde, a 39-year mother of five, echoed his fears.

"I can't afford to stock groceries because things are very expensive now," Mazonde, who sells airtime and drinks in the streets of Harare, told Al Jazeera.

"I am living hand to mouth from my vending activities."

Labelled a pandemic by the World Health Organization, the new coronavirus has wreaked havoc across the world, forcing an increasing number of countries to shut borders and impose sweeping measures in a bid to stop the spread of the disease.

To date, 723,000 infections have been reported in more than 175 countries and territories, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University in the US. Some 34,000 people have died, and 152,000 have recovered.

Although a lockdown appears to have helped containment efforts in China, where the coronavirus was first detected late last year, experts questioned the enforcement of similar measures in a country like Zimbabwe.

"It's not practically possible to lock down in an informal economy without any form of relief to the needy," Shami Fred, an epidemiologist, told Al Jazeera.

"Yes, the whole world is on lockdown, it's the right thing to do. But without water, it's a futile and grave exercise. Electricity, among other must-haves, is scarce."

Frequent and thorough hand-washing with soap and water is one of the most basic weapons against the coronavirus, but in Harare alone, one million people are without running water.

On Sunday, a crowd of more than 50 people gathered at the community borehole in Kuwadzana 3, a high-density suburb west of Harareto, to fetch water.

"We have not had water for three days," Nozipho Mpambawashe, a 25-year-old mother of one, told Al Jazeera, adding that the water supply has been erratic for the past two weeks

"We are worried because we don't have reliable water supply. Even with a lockdown, I will still need water for cleaning, washing, cooking and drinking," she said.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...zimbabwe-lockdown-begins-200330054919081.html
 
Ethiopia has announced that a highly anticipated general election scheduled for August will be postponed because of the pandemic

Kenya's chief of police has ordered a probe into the killing of a 13-year-old boy, shot dead in a Nairobi slum as a curfew was enforced by police

Congo-Brazzaville’s former President Jacques Joaquim Yhombi Opango died in Paris from complications related to coronavirus .The family of the 81 year old, who was toppled in 1979, said he had been ill before contracting the virus

The government in the conflict-hit nation of Somalia has ordered the closure of all religious schools, or madrassas, in an effort to contain the spread of coronavirus and has urged people to pray at home instead of going to mosques for the next two weeks

Uganda has introduced new restrictions for the next two weeks, including a ban on the use of private cars unless a person has permission from the government

The southern African nations of Botswana and Mozambique have declared states of emergency as part of measures to curb the spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, a night-time curfew was announced in Guinea in West Africa

Fighting and shelling has continued in Libya’s capital, Tripoli, despite calls for a ceasefire to deal with the pandemic

South Africa has launched a mass screening programme for coronavirus, with 10,000 field workers to start visiting homes to check for symptoms

Meanwhile, South Africa, and many countries along the West African coast, are experiencing slow internet speeds because repairs are needed to an undersea cable, which runs from Cape Town to Europe. It is causing lockdown blues for those trying to work from home.
 
Africa's biggest city Lagos locks down to defend against coronavirus

Lagos, Africa’s largest city of at least 20 million people, ground to a halt on Tuesday as it and the Nigerian capital Abuja entered a two-week lockdown to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Lagos’ usual unending cacophony and interminable “go slows” or traffic jams were gone. Streets were virtually empty but for ambulances and police vehicles. Security forces manned frequent checkpoints where cars crawled through one by one.

Africa’s confirmed cases had climbed to at least 5,300 by Tuesday morning, with more than 170 recorded deaths, according to a Reuters tally.

In the little more than 24 hours since Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari had announced the lockdown, coronavirus had transformed one of the world’s biggest megacities, where many live in slums and eke out a living at the best of times.

However, the terms of the lockdown have created confusion. While Nigeria’s president said food retailers and health facilities could remain open, he did not say whether people could leave their homes to buy necessities or seek care.

On Awolowo road, a normally busy street in the upmarket Ikoyi district, Andy Bankong, a bank security guard, had accepted his fate of a long trek home. No public transport meant walking more than 4 miles. Soldiers told him he could not return to the bank.

“If I lose the job, I can’t support my family. And it isn’t easy to find work now in Lagos,” said the father of two, who sends money to his wife in the southern state of Cross River to feed their children and pay for school fees.

Few were on the streets. Even health staff struggled to get to work.

“I am medical personnel,” said Onolapo Adebayo, speaking shortly before 9 a.m. at a bus stop. “They are calling me to start coming to the office but there is no vehicle.”

People who could not afford to stockpile for the 14-day lockdown were left dependent on government relief packages.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...n-to-defend-against-coronavirus-idUSKBN21I1Z9
 
Pape Diouf, the former president of the French football club, Marseille, has died after contracting coronavirus. He was in his home country, Senegal, and is its first recorded coronavirus-related death

Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta has apologised after reports of police brutality as officers implemented a curfew to curb the spread of the virus

Burundi and Sierra Leone, which were among a handful of African countries yet to confirm cases, have recorded their first positive test results

Several members of Uganda’s famous Watoto Children’s Choir have tested positive for coronavirus after returning from a trip to the UK

The governor of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, has appealed for information about a woman and young girl who were pictured using cut-out plastic bottles to cover their faces, amid concerns for families who can't afford protection
 
Acclaimed South African scientist Gita Ramjee dies of coronavirus

Gita Ramjee, a world-renowned scientist from South Africa, has died due to the coronavirus.

Ramjee died on Tuesday a hospital in Durban on the East Coast, according to local media reports. She was 64.

"Professor Ramjee was renowned for her work on finding HIV prevention methods that were conducive to the lifestyles, circumstances and perceived risk factors that South African women face, as well as attempts to find an effective HIV vaccine," Deputy President David Mabuza said in a statement on Wednesday.

"We have indeed lost a champion in the fight against the HIV epidemic, ironically at the hands of this global pandemic."

Ramjee returned to South Africa recently after a trip to London. She did not have any symptoms but fell sick and was admitted to a hospital.

Tributes and condolence messages have been pouring in from across the globe where her work affected millions.

The Global Advocacy for HIV Prevention (AVAC) said: "Deeply saddened by the loss of an HIV prevention pioneer."

It described Ramjee as a tireless champion of science, research, women's reproductive health and rights.

Two years ago, Ramjee was internationally recognised for her work in the field of microbicide research. She received a Lifetime Achievement Award for HIV Prevention and was handed the Outstanding Female Scientist award by the European Development Clinical Trials Partnerships for work in finding new HIV prevention methods.

South Africa has more than seven million people living with HIV/AIDS, one of the largest caseloads in the world.

At least five people have died due to the coronavirus in South Africa and some 1,380 have been infected.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...-ramjee-dies-coronavirus-200401194349326.html
 
African governments continue to roll out stringent measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19, which has taken the lives of more than 200 people across the continent.

Burundi has blocked cargo trucks from Kenya and Uganda via Rwanda, even after the various governments agreed to facilitate free movement of goods.

South Africa’s Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize has raised concerns about increasing numbers of coronavirus local transmission cases in the country.

The government has now stepped up door to door testing and screening, with the country’s national health laboratory service deploying mobile sampling units across the country.

In Kenya, the government has confirmed 22 new Covid-19 cases.

Meanwhile, nine members of Uganda’s famous children’s choir are in a stable condition after testing positive. The group was on tour in the US and Canada two weeks ago.
 
Imams fight deadly virus myths

Coronavirus myths are rampant all over the world - but they're particularly rife in Somalia.

For example, some believe Covid-19 is a divine punishment imposed on China for the government's treatment of the Muslim Uighurs. Others say the US is being punished because it oppresses Muslims. And others believe that you can't catch the virus if you're a good Muslim.

Some of these myths are being spread by al-Qaeda-linked militant group al-Shabab, which controls much of southern and central Somalia.

So now, Muslim clerics and healthcare workers are joining forces to fight the dangerous coronavirus disinformation in the country.
 
Amnesty International in Nigeria is urging state security agencies not to “abuse their powers” when it comes to enforcing movement restrictions across the country.

Videos have been circulating online of citizens out on the streets being beaten by members of the law enforcement agencies. On Thursday, Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta apologised for the actions of the police, which have reportedly led to at least two deaths as they enforced the curfew.

Zambia has recorded its first death from coronavirus with the total number of people testing positive rising to 39.

A group of youths in Cameroon are making hand sanitisers and giving them out for free as their way of fighting the coronavirus pandemic. The group, called Local Youth Corner, says that their hand sanitisers are made to World Health Organization standards. They are distributing them mostly in the capital, Yaoundé.

Ethiopia has relaxed rules for mobile banking and money transfers, a move it hopes will curb the spread of coronavirus as more people go cashless. The new rules will give companies like Ethiotelecom - the country's state-run telecom monopoly - a chance to compete with banks for the first time.

Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbé has declared a three-month state of emergency to stop the spread of coronavirus. As part of the the measures, a curfew will be in place from 19:00-06:00 local time.

Eritrea has begun a nationwide lockdown for 21 days to stem the spread of coronavirus. It comes after three new cases of the virus were reported, bringing the national total to 18. During the lockdown, all citizens of the one-party, highly militarised state must stay at home.
 
Malawi has reported its first three confirmed cases of coronavirus.

The southern African nation was among the few African countries yet to report cases. Others include Lesotho, Comoros, South Sudan and São Tomé and Príncipe.
 
Five Rwandan soldiers have been arrested after residents of a slum in the capital, Kigali, alleged they had raped women while enforcing a nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19

Ugandan police are holding 165 people for breaking the curfew but there are fears they are being kept close together against social distancing advice

Kenyan pastors have asked the government to include churches in the list of "essential services" to allow them to remain open

Tanzania has extended visas for foreign nationals who cannot leave the country because of the coronavirus pandemic

Football legends Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto'o have condemned comments by two French doctors who suggested medical trials for a Covid-19 vaccine be used on Africans first
 
African migrants in Morocco wait for aid as coronavirus bites

Thousands of African migrants without revenue during Morocco’s coronavirus lockdown could run out of money for food and essentials, and rights groups have urged the government to offer them the same cash help it has promised to citizens.

The North African country has imposed a month-long lockdown restricting movement to purchases of food or medicine and to staffing some key jobs, with 761 cases of the coronavirus confirmed, including 47 deaths.

Saddou Habi, 30, who came to Morocco two years ago from Guinea, and decided to stay rather than trying to reach Europe after getting a job in a restaurant, said his money will run out in 10 days.

“I have been helping my four other flat mates whose financial situation is worse than mine,” he said.

“We are respecting all measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus but we need urgent help to go through these difficult times,” he said.

The government has promised monthly support of about $120 a month to households where the main provider has lost work in the informal economy because of the lockdown.

At present, that aid will go to people with a “free health service” card available only to Moroccans. The government plans to roll it out to people who do not have the card, but has not said if this would be extended to migrants.

The state will also pay about $200 a month to workers in private companies who are registered with the state social insurance scheme.

It leaves most of the 50,000 migrants who have obtained official residency permits since 2013 without help. The far larger number of undocumented migrants, many of them homeless or seeking to pass through Morocco to reach Europe, face even less chance of assistance.

The National Human Rights Council and the Moroccan Association for Human Rights have urged the government to help. The finance ministry did not respond when asked if migrants would become eligible for state aid.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...it-for-aid-as-coronavirus-bites-idUSKBN21L38Q
 
WHO Africa director calls French interview 'deeply upsetting'

We reported yesterday about a French doctor who sparked anger and accusations of racism after saying vaccine trials should be carried out "in Africa, where there are no masks, no treatments, no resuscitation".

"A bit like as it is done elsewhere for some studies on Aids. In prostitutes, we try things because we know that they are highly exposed and that they do not protect themselves,” Dr Jean-Paul Mira said during a televised debate on Thursday. Another, Camille Locht from Inserm research group, appeared to agree.

Now, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organization (WHO) regional director for Africa, has condemned the comments on Twitter.

Those shocked by the remarks also included footballers Samuel Eto’o and Didier Drogba. They called the comments "deeply racist" and said African people were being treated like "guinea pigs".

On Friday Dr Mira backtracked in a statement released by his employer: "I want to present all my apologies to those who were hurt, shocked and felt insulted by the remarks that I clumsily expressed on LCI this week."
 
People in Kenya are saying they're being treated inhumanely in mandatory quarantine.

More than 2,000 Kenyans and foreigners were ordered to stay in hotels and government facilities after arriving in the country. Now, in facilities where there's been a confirmed case of coronavirus, the quarantine period is being extended from 14 days to one month.

Some have said they're being treated like prisoners, and are asking why the isolation period should be extended. They've previously complained that they haven't had access to basics, such as soap and water.

But Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe accused people of breaking the rules, and even of having parties while in isolation.

There are 126 confirmed cases of the virus in Kenya.
 
Ethiopia reports its first death of a COVID-19 patient

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia has reported its first death of a COVID-19 patient, a 60-year old woman who was in treatment at a hospital in the capital since March 31, the Health Minister Lia Tadesse said on Sunday.

The Horn of Africa nation has a total of 43 confirmed cases of the disease, which is caused by the new coronavirus, and has reported four recoveries.
 
Here are some of the latest developments from the continent:

South Sudan has reported its first case - a 29-year-old woman who works for the UN, officials say. She recently arrived in the country from the Netherlands, although her nationality was not revealed. Experts warn that the consequences could be dire if the virus spreads rapidly, as the country has extremely limited health facilities

The first death as a result of Covid-19 has been confirmed in Ethiopia. The female victim, aged 60, had been receiving hospital treatment in the capital, Addis Ababa, since 31 March, the health ministry said on Sunday

In South Africa, the government has identified a private hospital in Durban as a hotspot for coronavirus infections. Six of the country's nine deaths have been in the area. It wants anyone who has been a patient at St Augustine's hospital since early March to contact the health officials. South Africa is the worst-hit country on the continent - with more than 1,500 cases

Malawi's President Peter Mutharika and all government ministers are taking a 10% wage cut for three months to raise money to tackle the pandemic. Mr Mutharika announced the move as he set out a stimulus package to help cushion the economic impact of the disease. Malawi, among the world's poorest countries, has declared a state of emergency

People in Kenya say they are being treated inhumanely in mandatory quarantine. More than 2,000 Kenyans and foreigners were ordered to stay in hotels and government facilities after arriving in the country. Now, in facilities where there's been a confirmed case of coronavirus, the quarantine period is being extended from 14 days to one month. There are 126 confirmed cases of the virus in Kenya
 
Residents destroy testing centre in Abidjan

Residents in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, have destroyed a coronavirus testing centre over fears it would pose a contagion risk for the people living nearby.

Videos show the building, which was still under conduction, being demolished by people shouting, "We don't want it".

An official from the health ministry said the site was never meant for the treatment of patients but only for testing.

Judging by official figures, the country has so far not seen a widespread outbreak. Just over 260 infections and three deaths have been confirmed.

Abidjan has already been placed under quarantine and a nationwide overnight curfew is in force. Schools, churches and all non-essential shops have been closed.
 
Kenya has banned travel in and out of capital Nairobi from Monday for three weeks

Protesters in Abidjan, Ivory Coast have destroyed a coronavirus testing centre, saying it was built too close to their homes

Video of a bride (with wedding dress and train) and groom in the back of a police car has emerged in South Africa - the couple were arrested alongside a priest and 40 wedding guests in KwaZulu-Natal - police confirmed that weddings were banned

Ethiopia announced the deaths of a 60-year-old woman and 56-year-old man - the country's first since the virus was identified there on 12 March

Rwanda's cabinet ministers and top officials will donate their April salaries to the fight against the epidemic

Libya's former Prime Minister Mahmoud Jebril, has died from the virus - he was head of the National Transitional Council in 2011 which ousted dictator Colonel Muammar Gaddafi

And in another case of leaders not following their own advice - Nigerian actress Funke Akindele, who appeared in a public health video about the virus, has been arrested after holding a party during lockdown
 
Egypt reports 149 new coronavirus cases, its highest daily toll

Egypt on Monday reported 149 new coronavirus cases, its highest daily toll since confirming the first infection in February.

The North African country, which also reported seven new fatalities on Monday, has so far recorded 1,322 cases including 85 deaths.

A total of 259 people had recovered from the fast-spreading disease and been released from hospitals as of Monday, Egypt’s Health Ministry said in a statement.

Egyptian officials have said that once the number of known infections surpasses 1,000, the task of tracing contacts and quarantining those affected would become harder.

However, Health Minister Hala Zayed Said in a televised briefing on Monday evening that “Egypt is one of the countries that has small number of infections compared to the population according to the standards of the World Health Organization.”

Egypt, the most populous Arab nation and home to 100 million people, has imposed a nightly curfew to counter the spread of the virus and closed its airports and tourist resorts.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...us-cases-its-highest-daily-toll-idUSKBN21O2XA
 
Morocco makes face masks compulsory due to coronavirus

Morocco made wearing face masks mandatory starting on Tuesday for anyone allowed to go out during the coronavirus outbreak, the government said.

The masks will be sold at a subsidised price of 0.8 dirhams ($0.08) per unit. Those who fail to comply face prison sentences of up to three months and a fine of up to 1,300 dirhams, the government said in a statement on Monday.

Morocco plans to increase its daily mask production capacity to near 6 million next week from 3.3 million currently, Industry Ministry spokesman Taoufiq Moucharraf told Reuters.

Textile factories across the country have been encouraged to produce face masks, he said.

Morocco, which has imposed a month-long lockdown, confirmed as of Monday 1,120 coronavirus cases and 80 deaths.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...s-compulsory-due-to-coronavirus-idUSKBN21O31E
 
The Viper said:
Egypt reports 149 new coronavirus cases, its highest daily toll

Egypt on Monday reported 149 new coronavirus cases, its highest daily toll since confirming the first infection in February.

The North African country, which also reported seven new fatalities on Monday, has so far recorded 1,322 cases including 85 deaths.

A total of 259 people had recovered from the fast-spreading disease and been released from hospitals as of Monday, Egypt’s Health Ministry said in a statement.

Egyptian officials have said that once the number of known infections surpasses 1,000, the task of tracing contacts and quarantining those affected would become harder.

However, Health Minister Hala Zayed Said in a televised briefing on Monday evening that “Egypt is one of the countries that has small number of infections compared to the population according to the standards of the World Health Organization.”

Egypt, the most populous Arab nation and home to 100 million people, has imposed a nightly curfew to counter the spread of the virus and closed its airports and tourist resorts.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...us-cases-its-highest-daily-toll-idUSKBN21O2XA
Click to expand...

1322 cases and 85 deaths? How many (few) tests are they conducting?
 
The number of deaths in Africa attributed to Covid-19 rose by 50 over the last 24 hours to 492 and there are a total of 10,252 confirmed cases on the continent, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the latest developments from across the continent:

Chad's former ruler HisseneHabre has been granted two months leave from prison in Senegal, where he is serving life for crimes against humanity, as the jail where the 72-year-old is serving his sentence is to be used to quarantine new detainees

Moroccans who venture outside their homes without wearing face masks risk prison sentences of up to three months and a fine of up to $126

Rwanda has held a low-key event to mark the 26th anniversary of the 1994 genocide

A couple whose wedding was called off in South Africa because of the lockdown held a mock ceremony with cardboard cut-out guests

Meanwhile, also in South Africa, a 55-year-old man has appeared in court accused of spreading fake news after allegedly posting a video urging people not to be tested for coronavirus

And In Cameroon, a Covid-19 patient on a ventilator has given birth to a baby girl in an isolation ward in the capital, Yaoundé
 
Coronavirus has spread across the continent in recent weeks, and the World Health Organization is warning of a "new front" in the battle against Covid-19:

Africa has now recorded more than 10 000 cases. The WHO's Matshidiso Moeti said: “Covid-19 has the potential not only to cause thousands of deaths, but to also unleash economic and social devastation"

Somalis are mourning Ahmed Ismail Hussein Hudeydi, one of the founders of modern Somali music. Known as "the King of Oud" - after the instrument that he played - he died in London at the age of 92 after contracting Covid-19

South Africa’s Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams has been suspended for two months for going to lunch at a friend's house during the lockdown

Ethiopia has declared a state of emergency over the outbreak. The country, with a population of more than 102 million, has recorded 52 cases, including two deaths

Meanwhile, Ethiopia’s First Lady Zinash Tayachew has released a gospel song pleading for "God's mercy" as the world battles with the pandemic

And The Democratic Republic of Congo has freed 1,200 prisoners to ease jail congestion and prevent the spread of coronavirus.
 
US President Donald Trump took a swipe at the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday, accusing its leadership of being “very China-centric" when it was "largely" funded by the US.

The head of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, is an Ethiopian and the first African to head the organisation - and Mr Trump's comments have riled leaders in Africa.

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramphosa has called Dr Tedros’s leadership "exceptional". Earlier, Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame and African Union Commission chair Moussa Faki Mahamat defended the WHO chief, while Namibia's President Hage Geingob called him a "true flag bearer of multilateralism when global solidarity has become critical".

In other developments:

Seychelles is starting a 21-day lockdown from midnight. The Indian Ocean archipelago, popular with tourists, made the decision two days after a man working at the international airport tested positive for coronavirus

A private hospital in South Africa’s port city of Durban has been closed to the public after 66 people, 48 of them staff, tested positive for Covid-19

Ten police officers in northern Uganda have been charged with allegedly torturing 38 women while enforcing a coronavirus lockdown. They are accused of caning them and forcing them to swim in mud

And from Saturday, Liberia, which battled an Ebola outbreak several years ago, will start a three-week lockdown. President George Weah, a former football star, said the fight against the virus had entered a new stage “from protection to containment”.
 
South Africa's Ramaphosa extends lockdown by two weeks

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday extended a lockdown aimed at stemming the spread of the coronavirus by two weeks to the end of April.

Africa’s most industrialised nation has the most confirmed coronavirus cases in Africa, but that number is expected to rise as the government embarks on a mass testing drive.

The lockdown, which started on March 27 and was due to last for 21 days, is one of the toughest measures imposed by an African government, and Ramaphosa vowed a package of support for businesses affected by the economic shutdown.

“After careful consideration of the available evidence, the National Coronavirus Command Council has decided to extend the nationwide lockdown by a further two weeks, beyond the initial 21 days,” Ramaphosa said.

“This means that most of the existing lockdown measures will remain in force until the end of April.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...a-extends-lockdown-by-two-weeks-idUSKCN21R364
 
During the past fortnight, South Africa has seen a dramatic and unexpected slowdown in the daily rate of coronavirus infections.

Health experts are warning that it is far too early to see this as a significant development, and worry that it could even trigger a dangerous sense of complacency.

"We're a bit perplexed," said Dr Tom Boyles, an infectious disease doctor at Johannesburg's Helen Joseph Hospital.

"We've been calling it the calm before the storm for about three weeks. We're getting everything set up here. And it just hasn't arrived. It's weird."

President Cyril Ramaphosa has suggested that the two weeks of lockdown is responsible. He has extended the nationwide restrictions, scheduled to end in one week's time, to the end of the month.
 
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered a two-week extension to a lockdown in largest city Lagos, neighbouring Ogun state and capital Abuja.

Confinement measures have been in place since 30 March and Buhari said in a televised address that "it has become necessary to extend the current restriction of movement", which was set to expire later on Monday.

"We must not allow a rapid increase in community transmission," Buhari said. "We must endure a little longer."

Africa's most populous nation has so far reported 323 confirmed infections and 10 deaths, but testing has been limited to 5,000 samples. The measures have proved difficult in a country where almost half the 200 million population live in dire poverty.

The lockdown affects more than 25 million people, many of them living in congested neighbourhoods. The government has pledged a raft of support measures to ease the financial pain, but many are worried about how they will cope.

"It is hunger I am worried about, not a virus," Debby Ogunsola told the BBC.
 
More than 100 Africans test positive in Guangzhou
The city of Guangzhou in China says 111 Africans have tested positive for coronavirus as of Monday, state news agency Xinhua reports.

Around 4,500 Africans in the city have been tested since 4 April, and 19 of those with positive results were imported cases, officials said.

China has dismissed accusations that it was forcefully testing foreigners with African appearance.

There have been reports of Africans being evicted from their homes and forced into quarantine - leaving tensions running high.

Africans have also said they are being barred from restaurants and other public places, leading to complaints from some African diplomats and governments,

The Guangdong provincial government responded by insisting that China and Africa remain good friends, partners and brothers. The Chinese foreign ministry said "all foreigners are treated equally".
 
The latest from Africa

South Africa says it is succeeding in fighting the coronavirus pandemic, with a nationwide lockdown showing signs of containing the disease, for now. More than 2,000 Covid-19 cases have been confirmed there.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has announced a 14-day extension of the lockdown in the capital Abuja, Lagos and Ogun states.

Ugandan opposition politician Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, says he has partnered with an American businessman to airlift Africans out of China, where they have been facing harrassment after racist rumours suggested they were spreading the virus.

Sudan's capital Khartoum will go on a three-week lockdown from Saturday.

In Kenya, dozens of people were arrested over Easter after they were found drinking in bars and flouting strict measures to curtail the spread of the virus.

The International Monetary Fund has approved immediate debt service relief for 19 African countries for an initial period of six months to enable them to channel financial resources towards dealing with the pandemic.

The government of Eswatini, the southern African country formerly known as Swaziland, has denied media reports that its leader King Mswati III has contracted Covid-19.
 
Zimbabwe president threatens 20 years jail over fake lockdown statement

Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday threatened 20 years in jail to the author of a statement purporting to bear his signature that said the lockdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak had been extended, Reuters reports.

Mnangagwa, who was speaking at his farm after touring Gweru city in central Zimbabwe, told state broadcaster ZBC he had not extended the 21-day lockdown. The statement that claimed the restrictions were extended was circulated on social media last week and was immediately denied by the government.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Uganda's President Museveni made an indoor workout video to encourage people to keep fit during <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/coronavirus?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coronavirus</a> lockdown. <a href="https://t.co/RxNzgV6pUY">pic.twitter.com/RxNzgV6pUY</a></p>— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) <a href="https://twitter.com/AJEnglish/status/1250257537305325569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Tanzania's health ministry has announced the country's biggest rise in coronavirus cases, with 29 new patients.

Of those, 26 were detected in the commercial hub, Dar es Salaam, two in the north-western town of Mwanza and one in the Kilimanjaro area.

Earlier, the health ministry in the semi-autonomous islands of Zanzibar announced six new cases - also the biggest rise in the archipelago since the outbreak began.

The total confirmed cases in Tanzania is now 88.

Unlike many of its East African neighbours, the country has not restricted movement - but has imposed measures limiting some public gatherings.
 
Treatment of Africans in southern China sparks diplomatic backlash

GUANGZHOU, China (Reuters) - Huddled under a highway bridge with a small bag of belongings, a 19-year old student from Ivory Coast was desperately dialling his few contacts in China.

The student said he arrived in the southern city of Guangzhou last week, after completing his quarantine in another city, during a coronavirus clampdown that several African countries and Africans in Guangzhou say has unfairly targeted them.

“I really need help. I just don’t want to sleep on the streets again,” he said on Monday, asking not to be identified by name.

He came to China to study the language but his university shut because of the coronavirus. Hotels kept turning him away, but later on Monday he said he had found one.

Several African ambassadors wrote to China’s foreign minister last week, calling for the “cessation of forceful testing, quarantine and other inhuman treatments meted out to Africans”.

Ghana’s foreign minister on Saturday called in China’s ambassador to convey the government’s concern.

China’s foreign ministry said on Monday all foreigners are treated equally. But it also said virus controls on Africans would be lifted, apart from confirmed cases and those who have had close contact with them.

“African friends will be treated fairly, justly and amicably in China,” the ministry said.

Many foreigners in China say they have faced suspicion as the country brought its own outbreak under control, only to see new cases brought from other countries. China has barred entry to most foreigners, and the vast majority of imported cases of the disease have come from Chinese nationals returning home.

In Guangzhou, a hub for African traders, authorities said on Tuesday that 111 Africans had tested positive for the coronavirus, while a total of 4,553 Africans had undergone testing since April 4, state media reported.

Several African residents said the black community was being unfairly targeted for stricter checks.

“If they do this to all foreigners, then it’s not a problem, but it’s only black people,” Soumana Toudou, a garment trader from Niger, told Reuters by WhatsApp. He said he was undergoing his second 14-day quarantine because the authorities did not believe he had completed his first.

Such decisions are made at the local level and Reuters could not independently confirm this.

The scrutiny from the authorities had triggered hostility from Chinese residents, one student said.

“The selective testing has set the Guangzhou locals into panic, thinking black people are carrying the virus,” he said. He declined to be identified.

A Communist Party social worker, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters on Monday that black people were specifically being made to enter a period of quarantine.

Last week, authorities announced that two neighbourhoods popular with Africans would be locked down to curb the coronavirus after five Nigerians tested positive.

On Monday, the U.S. consulate general in Guangzhou advised African-Americans, or those who believe Chinese officials may suspect them of having contact with African nationals, to avoid the city.

The provincial foreign affairs office provided no immediate comment to Reuters about complaints from Africans and embassies that Africans had been unfairly targeted.

China has stepped up its engagement with Africa in recent years, with state-owned companies building infrastructure and signing hundreds of deals across the continent.

Guangzhou was home to 13,652 Africans in 2019 and about 351,000 Africans entered the city from abroad last year, official figures show.

Videos on social media in recent days showed what appeared to be Africans sleeping on Guangzhou streets after being evicted from their apartments. Reuters could not independently verify the footage.

Property agents near Guangzhou’s Sanyuanli trading hub said such evictions of foreigners, including Africans, had contributed to a glut of empty apartments.

“For a white person, you can’t rent around here now because of the virus, but you’ll be welcome again in a few months,” said one agent, referring to when the pandemic passes. She declined to give her name.

“But black people, no one will accept them.”

A spokeswoman for McDonald’s in China apologised on Tuesday after staff at a Guangzhou branch forced black customers to leave.

The fast-food chain had temporarily closed the outlet while staff completed “diversity and inclusion” training, spokeswoman Regina Hui said in a statement.

The Chinese authorities now seem to be taking a more conciliatory stance. On Tuesday, media showed hazmat-clad personnel delivering food and flowers to Africans in home quarantine.

The chairman of the African Union, Moussa Faki Mahamat, was receptive, saying on Twitter on Monday he had spoken to Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

“He reassured me of measures underway in Guangzhou to improve the situation of Africans, in line with the strong and brotherly partnership between Africa and China.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...hina-sparks-diplomatic-backlash-idUSKCN21Y0PL
 
Africa to roll out more than 1 million coronavirus tests

More than one million coronavirus tests will be rolled out starting next week in Africa to address the big gap in assessing the true number of cases on the continent, AP reported.

"Maybe 15 million tests will be required in Africa over the next three months," John Nkengasong, the head of the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said.

South Africa, the most assertive African nation in testing, has carried out perhaps 80,000 tests so far, Nkengasong said.
 
LAGOS/NAIROBI (Reuters) - Shehu Isah Daiyanu Dumus has run out of cash and says he only has a few handfuls of cassava flour left to eat.

The 53-year-old paraplegic man usually sells phone cards. But an extended lockdown to fight the new coronavirus in Nigeria’s biggest city, Lagos, has left him stranded.

The Lagos state government sent him a text after the lockdown began on March 30 saying he would receive a food parcel. But no food came, and with government offices closed, he had no idea when or how he would get any.

“I am sure that if this coronavirus did not kill people with disability, definitely this order of stay at home will kill people,” he told Reuters outside a building near the airport where a friend is letting him stay.

Hunger and anger are building in Lagos and other major African cities with little or no social safety net to protect the poor from the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The World Food Programme says at least 20% of Africa’s 1.2 billion people are already undernourished - the highest percentage in the world.

The combination of widespread poverty, reliance on imported food and price spikes due to the epidemic could prove deadly if African governments don’t act quickly, it says.

Under new restrictions in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, millions who once lived on daily wages are running out of food.

Many work as traders, labourers or craftsmen in the informal sector, which accounts for 85% of employment across the continent, and must now stay home with no savings as a buffer.

“A WAR ZONE”

In Lagos, three out of seven of its 20 million residents can’t always get enough food under normal circumstances, according to the Lagos Food Bank Initiative, a nonprofit. The 14-day lockdown, extended by another two weeks on Monday, has thrown millions more into need.

Food prices spiked as residents raced to stock up. Imported rice rose 11% and the price of garri, a staple made from cassava, nearly doubled, said Lagos-based risk consultancy SBM Intelligence.

Michael Sunbola, the food bank’s president, said his organization was getting 50% more calls than usual from frantic residents. Some trek for five hours to collect food.

As his team unloaded rice, beans, oil and cassava flour this month in Agboyi Ketu, he said many would struggle as the shutdown continues.

“We are afraid some people might starve,” Sunbola said.

The Lagos state government is trying to help. It distributed 200,000 food packs during the first weeks of the lockdown and aims to give out 2 million as soon as possible, Agriculture Commissioner Gbolahan Lawal told Reuters.

The federal government has promised cash grants for the poorest Nigerians, and food vouchers.

But videos online show angry Lagos residents tearing apart what they consider paltry offerings.

Lawal said those people did not understand that the aid was meant only for the most vulnerable. But officials acknowledge they are barely scratching the surface of the problem.

Mohammed Zanna, with the Nigerian Slum/Informal Settlement Federation, said desperate residents mobbed his truck when he tried to deliver food for the disabled on Monday in the run-down Agege neighbourhood.

Gangs of men armed with machetes, cutlasses and iron bars prowled the area as he sped away, dodging burning tyres.

“It is a war zone,” he said, and the group can no longer distribute food in some neighbourhoods without police escorts.

Slideshow (13 Images)
Police said they had deployed extra units to tackle the crime wave.

UNDERESTIMATES

Kenya has imposed a night curfew and forbidden most movement - apart from food - in and out of the capital, Nairobi, the country’s coronavirus epicentre.

On Sunday, hundreds of desperate residents in the city’s biggest slum, Kibera, stampeded during an aid distribution by opposition leader Raila Odinga. The next day, the government banned direct donations, insisting they go through government to prevent “unnecessary disorder”.

Kennedy Odede, whose charity Shining Hope for Communities works in Kibera, said the restrictions could cause more unrest.

“Food is more important than corona,” he said. “The government must see how people are desperate - they will risk their life for food.”

In South Africa’s Gauteng province - which includes Johannesburg and Pretoria – the government is distributing food to 54,000 people deemed vulnerable due to a nationwide lockdown.

But even before the restrictions, at least 16% of Gauteng’s 12 million people needed food aid, according to government estimates.

“The reality is that we underestimated the number of poor ... (and) homeless people,” said Panyaza Lesufi of the Department for Social Development.

Back in Lagos, Dumus managed to reach a state worker after Reuters gave him a flyer distributed by Lawal’s team. But he said he has yet to receive any government aid.

He noted that the government is seeking private donations to fight COVID-19.

“Even the federal government now is begging,” he said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...es-impose-coronavirus-lockdowns-idUSKCN21Y14E
 
Africa could become the next epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.

There was a sharp rise in cases in the past week.

There have been almost 1,000 deaths and more than 18,000 infections across Africa so far, although these rates are far lower than those seen in parts of Europe and the US.

The WHO says the virus appears to be spreading away from African capitals.

It has also highlighted that the continent does not have enough ventilators to deal with a pandemic.

The organisation's Africa director, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, told the BBC that the organisation had witnessed the virus spreading from capital cities to “the hinterland” in South Africa, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Ghana.

She said they were focusing on prevention rather than treating the virus because African countries don't have the capacity to treat many coronavirus patients.

"We want to minimise the proportion of people who get to the point of needing critical care in an ICU, because we know that these types of facilities are not adequate by any means in the majority of African countries," she said.

"I have to say the issue of ventilators is one of the biggest challenges that the countries are facing."

For patients critically ill with Covid-19, access to a ventilator could be a matter of life or death.

The machines get oxygen into the lungs and remove carbon dioxide from the body when people are too sick to breathe on their own.

One of the first recorded deaths from coronavirus in Africa was Zimbabwean journalist Zororo Makamba in March.

The local authorities in the capital, Harare, said that they did not have a ventilator to treat him.

There are also fears that the disease could spread rapidly in overcrowded areas where it is impossible to practise social distancing and where many do not have access to clean water and soap.


https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52323375
 
Nigerian president's chief of staff dies

The Nigerian president's chief of staff, Abba Kyari, has died after contracting coronavirus.

A statement from President Muhammadu Buhari's office said it "regrets to announce the passage" of Kyari.

"The deceased had tested positive to the ravaging Covid-19, and had been receiving treatment. But he died on Friday," the statement said.

There have been 493 confirmed coronavirus infections, with 17 deaths, in Nigeria.
 
Police in Kenya implementing coronavirus restrictions have arrested four people who disguised themselves as mourners taking a body for burial.

They had left the capital, Nairobi, and travelled 370km (about 230 miles) west with an empty coffin in the vehicle before being intercepted, the health minister said on Saturday.

Nearly two weeks ago, travel in and out of Nairobi was restricted, along with another three regions considered to be coronavirus hot spots.

The group of fake mourners had managed to pass through several checkpoints before suspicious officers in Homa Bay County opened the coffin, Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe said.

The driver later tested positive for Covid-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus. His three passengers have now been put into quarantine.

The minister said officials were investigating various schemes allegedly being used to circumvent the travel ban, including reports that people had been bribing police at roadblocks.

The East African nation has recorded 262 cases of Covid-19, including 12 deaths.
 
In the impoverished settlements that ring the city of Johannesburg, people wake at 2am in order to make an important decision.

They need to pick a queue, one of dozens of queues, which form in front of community centres, schools and local charities every single day. Then, they wait to see if anyone delivers any food.

We saw these elongated chains of humanity as we drove down the roads and dirt tracks in a place called Diepsloot.

Queue members cheered and screamed when they saw my battered-looking car, mistaking our team for members of a charity or a food distribution panel.

"Since two o'clock we are here," said Themba Mirian, who occupied a position near the front of the queue at the community hall. "The old people are here and they are starving. They just collapse because there is no food."

"What are you feeding your children?" I asked.

"Nothing. We live in a shack. There are 10 of us in a shack. How can we do the lockdown in a shack?"

South Africa has passed the mid-point in its five-week lockdown and in communities like Diepsloot it is really starting to hurt.

Most here work in the "informal sector" - they sell goods on the roadside, guard cars or recycle waste - but residents cannot work when they have been ordered to stay indoors.

In the queue outside the local high school, a man called Alex Chauke was wildly applauded when he told me that the lockdown would get them before the coronavirus did.

"If there's not food we have to look for food, it's about hunger it's not (about) corona now. We need to survive."

The lip-curling anger that we witnessed in this impoverished township has turned into violence and looting in other parts of the country.

Dozens of shops and supermarkets have been broken into as frustrated residents take matters into their hands.

Human rights organisation Amnesty International is calling on governments in Southern Africa to offer subsidies and food provisions to the poor as a matter of urgency.

"With inequality and unemployment so high across Southern Africa, the majority of people live hand to mouth... they cannot afford to remain in lockdown for a week, let alone for a month," said Deprose Muchena, Amnesty's director for East and Southern Africa.

Apart from the odd patrol of soldiers, there was little evidence of the South African government at work in Diepsloot - although we did find a local charity called Afrika Tikkun with some provisions to distribute.

We made the discovery by following a kilometre-long line to their front gate. Through the fence we spotted some of the 800 bags of vegetables on offer but it was clear that hundreds of people in the queue - perhaps the majority - would go home empty-handed.

I asked the general manager, Sipho Mamize, how they were faring.

''We got the food today and we are still (telling) our partners, our sponsors, the need is still there.... we have to hustle for next week."

"I don't want to be the person to tell (the people outside) there is nothing left," I said.

"Unfortunately, I have to do it," said Mr Mamize.

In a place like Diepsloot, the ache of an empty stomach takes priority over everything else, including the coronavirus pandemic.

But that's something residents will deal with when they have to.

https://www.goqradio.com/news/q-rad...nts-say-lockdown-will-get-us-before-covid-19/
 
Zimbabwe extends coronavirus lockdown by two weeks

Zimbabwe's government has extended a lockdown by two weeks to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Sunday the country had not yet met conditions set down by the World Health Organization (WHO) to lift the measure, imposed on March 20.

"It has been a very hard decision that my government has had to take reluctantly," he said in a televised address to the nation.

The lockdown has left many citizens without an income as the country is grappling with the worst economic crisis in a decade, marked by shortages of foreign exchange, food and medicines.

As of Sunday, the country has confirmed 25 coronavirus cases, including three deaths, but health professionals have expressed fears that many infections could be going undetected due to limited testing.

A lack of critical medical equipment and infrastructure shortages complicate the challenging situation, as years of underfunding and economic challenges have brought the country's health sector to its knees.

Mnangagwa said the the country has "witnessed a spike in the number of infections from single digits to the current 25."

"We are deeply worried that the virus is beginning to attack our children with more and more cases coming from local transmissions.”

Mnangagwa said the government would allow mining companies, the country's top foreign currency earner, to resume full operations while manufacturers would work at limited capacity. Mining companies operating in Zimbabwe include local operations of Impala Platinum Holdings and Anglo American Platinum.

He added that the government had embarked on expanding testing across the country to gauge the magnitude of the problem and isolate cases early on.

The lockdown has confined most people to their homes, but in poor townships, people are venturing out in search of staples like maize meal, leading to long queues at the shops.

In the capital, Harare, city council officials, with the help of police and soldiers, were on Sunday tearing down illegal market stalls used by informal traders in townships.

The action was strongly criticised by citizens in the country where more than 80 percent of the working population have no formal jobs and rely on the informal economy to make a living.

City authorities defended the move, saying it was necessary to restore order and that informal traders would be relocated to new and better facilities.

As part of measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus, the government has declared a state of national disaster and banned all public gatherings of more than 50 people for 60 days. Some of the banned gatherings include church services, weddings and all international sporting fixtures.

The government has also ordered the closure of schools and designated three hospitals as quarantine facilities.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...ronavirus-lockdown-weeks-200419152145245.html
 
Ghana eases lockdowns - and other news from Africa

Africa has seen a sharp rise in coronavirus cases in recent days, after the World Health Organization (WHO) warned last week that the continent could become the pandemic's next epicentre.

However, some countries which went into lockdown earlier this month are now looking at easing their social-distancing rules.

Here are some of the latest developments:

South Africa reported hundreds of new cases over the weekend, bringing the total to more than 3,000 as a fourth week of nationwide lockdown began

On Sunday, Djibouti reported 114 new cases, bringing the total to 846, while Zimbabwe extended its lockdown for two more weeks
Meanwhile, Ghana lifted a three-week targeted lockdown on two major regions, including the capital Accra. In a TV address, the president said some restrictions were being relaxed because testing had improved
 
The Nigerian government has apologised for “mistakes” made during the burial of President Muhammadu Buhari's chief of staff, Abba Kyari, who died from coronavirus.

A funeral was held for Mr Kyari on 18 April in Abuja, but images have been shared of people huddling around his grave.

Officials have admitted the service was inconsistent with government rules on public gatherings and social distancing in the city.

Authorities have refrained from a nationwide lockdown, but strict measures have been in place since 30 March in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun states. Most businesses have been forced to close because of the new rules, and the government has banned large gatherings and all but essential travel.

Over 665 cases of coronavirus have been reported in Nigeria, along with 22 virus-related deaths.
 
EWHq7-8WkAAHIdf
 
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced an economic relief package worth $26bn (£21bn) intended to protect companies and three million workers during the coronavirus pandemic.

In a televised address, he said the assistance amounted to 10% of South Africa’s entire GDP.

Mr Ramaphosa said economic relief measures include tax relief, wage support through the unemployment insurance fund and funding to small businesses.

Mr Ramaphosa acknowledged that during just four weeks of lockdown, the number of people plunged into poverty and suffering food insecurity had risen dramatically.

He said the lockdown had allowed the government space to save tens of thousands of lives. But he said that after 3,400 confirmed infections and 58 deaths, the country was still in the early stages of the pandemic.
 
Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta has said dozens of people who were filmed escaping from mandatory quarantine in the capital, Nairobi, will be arrested.

The president spoke on Wednesday morning, just hours after the video was shared online. It showed some people jumping over a perimeter wall at one of the quarantine centres.

President Kenyatta said the government knew the identities of all those who escaped and would take them back to the quarantine centre.
Kenya's Citizen TV channel said the escape took place when it started raining and guards took cover.
 
South African police arrested for flouting lockdown orders

Scores of government officials, including 89 police officers, have been arrested for flouting South Africa's coronavirus regulations, many of them for selling confiscated liquor, the police minister said.

"Altogether 131 people including officials, councillors, health officials, correctional services, have been arrested," Police Minister Bheki Cele told the media in Durban.

More than 20,000 police officers have been deployed along with the military to enforce a five-week lockdown under which alcohol sales are prohibited.
 
More than 70,000 extra troops will be deployed in South Africa to help enforce a lockdown intended to stop the spread of coronavirus, President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced.

South Africa has had 3,465 confirmed coronavirus cases - second only to Egypt in Africa - and 58 deaths.

The country has some of the most stringent coronavirus lockdown restrictions in the world.

But security forces have struggled to enforce them.

Since 27 March only essential service providers, such as health workers, financial services providers, journalists and retail workers, are allowed to continue going to work.

Businesses that provide essential services have been applying for a special permit from the government that allows their members of staff to go outside.

The restrictions include no jogging outside, no sales of alcohol or cigarettes, no dog-walking, no leaving home except for essential trips and prison or heavy fines for law-breaking.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52387962
 
Egypt amends emergency laws amid coronavirus outbreak

Egypt’s parliament approved on Wednesday amendments to the country’s emergency laws that give expanded powers to the presidency and the military prosecution as authorities try to counter the new coronavirus outbreak.

The amendments allow the state to take and enforce a series of measures, some of which have already been deployed to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

These include suspending schools, banning public or private gatherings, quarantining returning travelers, prohibiting the export of certain goods and placing restrictions on the trade or transfer of commodities, according to a parliamentary report on the amendments.

The state will also be allowed to direct private hospitals and their staff to help with general healthcare for a specific period, and to convert schools, companies and other publicly- owned sites into field hospitals.

Egypt has routinely renewed at three-month intervals a state of emergency imposed in 2017 after two church bombings that killed several dozen people.

Since it detected its first clusters of coronavirus infections last month, Egypt has shut schools, closed places of worship and imposed a night curfew.

During the day much activity has continued, with many workers depending on daily wages to make ends meet.

The government has confirmed 3,659 cases of the new coronavirus including 276 deaths.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi urged Egyptians to follow public health guidance as Muslims prepare for the holy month of Ramadan, starting on Friday.

“If we achieved success during the past period, during the next few weeks we don’t want to lose what we succeeded in,” he said in a televised speech.

“Please be alert with us and help us more with the culture of prevention, disinfection, and protection, and keeping away from gatherings whether in public transport or elsewhere.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-laws-amid-coronavirus-outbreak-idUSKCN22437A
 
WHO warns that malaria deaths in Africa could double this year

NAIROBI/LAGOS (Reuters) - The number of deaths caused by malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa could double to 769,000 this year, as efforts to curb the disease are disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organisation warned on Thursday.

The region has more than 25,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with more than 1,200 deaths, and governments working with partners such as the WHO are focusing on tackling the pandemic.

WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr Matshidiso Moeti called on all countries to ensure that essential malaria prevention work continues.

“A recent analysis has found that if insecticide-treated bed net distribution stops, and case management reduces, malaria deaths in sub-Saharan Africa could double in comparison to 2018,” Moeti said at a briefing.

“This would be the highest number of deaths seen in the region since the year 2000.”

She pointed to statistics from Africa’s ebola outbreak showing that more people died of other diseases, including malaria, than from ebola itself, due to lack of access to treatment.

“Let us not repeat that again with COVID-19,” she said.

In 2018, there were 213 million malaria cases and 360,000 related deaths in the African region, accounting for over 90% of global cases.

The WHO said that if the focus on slowing the spread of the new coronavirus leads to a reduction by three quarters of access to anti-malaria medicines, deaths could double to 769,000.

“Countries across the region have a critical window of opportunity to minimize disruptions in malaria prevention and treatment and save lives at this stage of the COVID-19 outbreak,” the WHO said in a statement.

The doubling of the number of deaths represents the worst case scenario, which also assumes the suspension of all distribution of treated mosquito nets due to the pandemic, the WHO said.

Benin, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone and Chad have all initiated anti-malaria programmes during the pandemic, the WHO said, adding that should serve as a model for other nations on the continent.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...n-africa-could-double-this-year-idUSKCN22529Q
 
Coronavirus: Kenya quarantine escapees arrested while drinking at bar

wo people who fled a quarantine centre in Kenya have been arrested at a bar where they were found drinking despite social distancing regulations.

They were among dozens of people filmed jumping over a wall of the facility in the capital, Nairobi, drawing public condemnation.

While under arrest they said they had planned the escape because they were not getting tested for the virus.

All bars in Kenya have been ordered to close, to halt the spread of Covid-19.

The pair, who are now awaiting charges, had complained that they couldn't afford to pay for their confinement out of their own pockets.

This costs between $20 (£16) and $100 a night - depending on the centre.

More than 400 people are under forced quarantine in the country, which lasts for an initial period of 14 days - though this has been extended twice at some centres.

Some are being held because they flouted curfew orders while others have been detained on arrival from abroad.

Many fear they are at greater risk from coronavirus inside, saying poor hygiene is widespread and overcrowding makes social distancing impossible.

As many as 50 people out of 200 escaped from Kenya Medical Training College's quarantine facility according to local reports, but officials have not confirmed the numbers.

Local police boss Muthuri Mwongera told the BBC that he was waiting for the director of public prosecution's office to charge the two suspects who had been arrested at a bar in the Roysambu area, north of the city.

"A majority of those who escaped had been arrested around this area before being taken to quarantine and so we know we will arrest more with time," Mr Mwongera said.

Residents living near the bar apparently tipped off the police that it was still open.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52374254
 
African nations to get ventilators from Jack Ma foundation, stress need for WHO help

African nations that lack ventilators to treat Covid-19 patients will receive some from the Jack Ma Foundation, an African Union official has said, as Nigeria stressed Africa’s dependence on a properly-funded World Health Organisation (WHO) to help it fight the pandemic.

With the pandemic driving up demand for protective equipment and medical supplies across the world, the African Union said it was working to set up its own joint procurement system.

The Jack Ma Foundation has donated 300 ventilators, which will arrive in coming weeks. John Nkengasong, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said states without any ventilators would be prioritised as they are distributed.
 
Last edited:
Algeria eases coronavirus lockdown for Ramadan

Algeria will ease confinement measures from the first day of the holy month of Ramadan on Friday by shortening a night curfew and lifting a full lockdown for a province near the capital Algiers, the prime minister’s office said on Thursday.

It said the full lockdown in the Blida province south of Algiers will be replaced with a curfew from 2 p.m. to 7 a.m. while a 3 p.m.-7 a.m. curfew in nine provinces, including Algiers, will be shortened to run from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m.

The government made no changes to the confinement measures in the remaining provinces where a 7 p.m.-7 a.m. curfew has been imposed for weeks.

“Th government reiterates its call for citizens to remain vigilant,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement. “Changing or keeping the confinement measures will depend on the evolution of the epidemiological situation.”

Algeria has so far reported 3,007 cases of the novel coronavirus, with 407 deaths and 1,355 recoveries.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...oronavirus-lockdown-for-ramadan-idUSKCN2253OI
 
Egypt loosening some lockdown restrictions for Ramadan; coronavirus toll rises

Egypt will ease its coronavirus lockdown for the holy fasting month of Ramadan by allowing more businesses to reopen and shortening a night-time curfew, the prime minister said on Thursday, as new coronavirus cases reached the highest daily toll since the first infection was confirmed in February.

Starting on Friday, the curfew will start at 9 p.m. instead of the previous 8 p.m. and run until 6 a.m., Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly told a televised news conference.

The holiest month in the Islamic calendar, which starts on Friday, is one of family and togetherness – community, reflection, charity and prayer.

Egypt on Thursday reported 232 new cases of the respiratory disease, including 11 deaths, bringing the country’s total to 3,891 infections and 287 deaths.

Shopping malls and businesses will be allowed to open on weekends, but will still be required to close at 5 p.m.

Last month, Egypt stepped up measures aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus - closing airports and gyms, as well as suspending classes at schools and universities. Shops other than supermarkets and pharmacies were required to close at 5 p.m. on weekdays, as well as on weekends.

But mosques will remain closed and any public religious gatherings will still be banned.

Madbouly said some restrictions were being eased but that authorities were ready to reimpose curbs if infections began to exceed predictions.

The government will review the measures in two weeks to decide whether to keep them in place, he said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-ramadan-coronavirus-toll-rises-idUSKCN2252GD
 
South Africa’s president has announced an easing of some lockdown restrictions beginning next month, citing economic concerns.

From 1 May, some businesses will be allowed to reopen, and a third of their employees can return to work. However, President Cyril Ramaphosa warned that most people should remain at home, public gatherings remain banned, and the country’s borders will stay closed.

Here's what else is happening across the continent:

Night curfew hours in Egypt will be shortened during Ramadan. It will begin at 21:00 local time (19:00GMT), an hour later than usual

Two people who fled a quarantine centre in Kenya have been arrested at a bar where they were found drinking despite social distancing regulations

US President Donald Trump has held telephone conversations with the presidents of South Africa and Kenya, offering assistance to both countries.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Somebody please help<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Covid_19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Covid_19</a><a href="https://twitter.com/CyrilRamaphosa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CyrilRamaphosa</a> <a href="https://t.co/XbguhpJVES">pic.twitter.com/XbguhpJVES</a></p>— William Mofokeng (@WilliamMofoken8) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamMofoken8/status/1253403678746324997?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Africa dangerously behind in global race for virus gear

Africa’s coronavirus cases have surged 43 per cent in the past week but its countries are dangerously behind in the global race for scarce medical equipment. Ten nations have no ventilators at all, AP reported.

Outbid by richer countries, and not receiving medical gear from top aid donor the United States, African officials scramble for solutions as reported virus cases have climbed past 27,000. Even in the best scenario, the United Nations says 74 million test kits and 30,000 ventilators will be needed by the continent’s 1.3 billion people this year. Very few are in hand.

“We are competing with the developed world,” said John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. “The very future of the continent will depend on how this matter is handled.”
 
About a quarter of the entire workforce at the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) factory in Cape Town has tested positive for the coronavirus.

A spokeswoman said the 99 members of staff were all now in isolation.

On Tuesday, South Africa’s labour department suspended operations at the pharmaceutical company after an inspection found that there was a lack of personal protection equipment for staff.

The facility has since been given permission to reopen.

The spread of the coronavirus has been slowed by a month-long lockdown in South Africa.

But some have broken the rules and there are concerns that about 200 positive cases have been traced to three funerals that took place in the Eastern Cape.
 
Nigerian state governors have asked President Muhammadu Buhari to approve the compulsory use of face masks in public as confirmed coronavirus cases rise, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Saturday.

The 36 state governors argued the approval was necessary to have a uniform and coordinated policy at federal and state levels to tackle the virus, the letter from the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) said.

Nigeria reported 114 new cases of the coronavirus on Friday, bringing its total to 1,095 with 32 deaths. A total of 28 states have so far reported cases, with more than half of those in the commercial hub Lagos.

Nigeria, with 200 million people, is Africa’s most populous country. Some 20 million reside in Lagos.

Among measures to be announced by Buhari the governors want the government to incorporate a lockdown on flights and on interstate movement, restrictions on large gatherings, overnight curfews and compulsory face mask use in public.

The measures would exclude movement of food, beverages, medical and pharmaceuticals, petroleum supplies and agricultural products, said the governors who on Thursday agreed to ban interstate movement for two weeks.

Lagos and Ogun states, as well as the capital Abuja, are already under federally imposed lockdowns, while various states have instigated their own containment measures.
 
Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo has extended the ban on public gathering by two more weeks.

The president last week lifted a three-week lockdown that had been imposed on various parts of the country.

Schools and borders remain closed and the president has urged all Muslims to pray at home during the month of Ramadan.

The country has so far confirmed 1,550 coronavirus cases and 11 deaths. Some 155 patients have recovered from Covid-19.
 
South Africa's police minister Bheki Cele has apologised for a "blasphemous" remark made by a policeman to praying Muslims as he was enforcing lockdown rules.

The apology, issued on Sunday by the minister through a statement, came after the event was caught on video.

The images, posted on social media and authenticated by the authorities, show police entering a room on Saturday where about 20 Muslims were praying, and ordering them to the ground.

One of the police is heard saying: "Are you bigger than the president? Is Muhammad bigger than the president?"

Cele said he "issued an apology to the Muslim community for the blasphemous remarks during the arrest" and an "urgent investigation" was launched "to establish the identity of the person behind such sacrilege" in the incident which took place in the Mpumalanga province.

In a separate statement, the police said the policeman’s comment was "rather unfortunate and it is unacceptable that someone could make such an utterance".

It also said that people of all religions had to respect rules during the confinement. On Friday, police had already detained 17 people at a religious ceremony for violating lockdown rules.

The Jamiatul Ulama South Africa Council of Muslim Theologians said not only were the remarks "demeaning in the name of the Prophet Muhammad", but police entering a prayer room with "their heavy boots", as seen in the video, was "distressing to Muslims who consider prayer places as sacred".

The Council also reminded Muslims to observe lockdown rules.

The incident took place as South Africans are under orders to observe strict confinement to fight the spread of the coronavirus, and are allowed to leave their homes only to buy food or for medical appointments.

All other gatherings are strictly prohibited.

South Africa is the worst-hit sub-Saharan country by the coronavirus outbreak. More than 85 people have died amid more than 4,350 infections, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
 
Nigeria will begin a “phased and gradual” easing of more than four weeks of lockdown at the beginning of next week, its president Muhammadu Buhari has said.

Lagos and Ogun states, and the federal capital territory of Abuja, entered lockdown to tame the spread of the coronavirus on 30 March.
 
The 28-day lockdown in three parts of Nigeria was due to end tonight but, during a televised address to the nation, President Buhari just announced measures would continue for one more week.

And then, from next Monday, a new “phased and gradual easing of” restrictions will kick in to allow the restoration of some economic and business activities - but the easing comes with nationwide conditions.

It will now be compulsory for everyone to wear face masks in public, there will be an overnight curfew between 20:00 and 06:00 with only essential services allowed to move during those times. President Buhari also said there would be a ban on “non-essential inter-state passenger travel until further notice” and all bans on social and religious gatherings would remain in place.

He also expressed his deep concern over the “mysterious deaths” of a number of people in the northern state of Kano. As well as sending a government team to investigate, he said he’d issued a total lockdown for two weeks with immediate effect.
 
Nigeria to begin 'phased and gradual' easing of lockdowns in Lagos, Abuja

Nigeria will begin a “phased and gradual” easing of more than four weeks of lockdowns in the national capital and the largest city on May 4, President Muhammadu Buhari said in an address on Monday.

Lagos and Ogun states and the federal capital territory of Abuja entered lockdowns to tame the spread of the new coronavirus on March 30.

Confirmed cases of the new virus have roughly quadrupled since a lockdown extension was announced on April 13, to 1,273 cases and 40 deaths, most concentrated in Lagos and Abuja.

But Buhari said the lockdowns had come at a “very heavy economic cost,” stripping many citizens of their livelihoods.

“No country can afford the full impact of a sustained lockdown while awaiting the development of vaccines,” Buhari said.

Millions of Nigeria’s 200 million citizens, more than 20 million of whom live in Lagos, live on daily wages, and the lockdown left many without money to buy food.

Authorities will enforce an overnight curfew, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., and also will require all those who are out during the day to wear face masks.

The federal government will also enforce a ban on non-essential movement between Nigeria’s 36 states, a measure the governors’ forum had requested.

President Buhari, however, announced a new two-week lockdown in the northern state of Kano, effective immediately. Cases there have risen to 77, putting it behind only Lagos and Abuja, and public health authorities are investigating a reported spike in suspicious deaths in the economically powerful capital city of the same name.

Kano state’s governor began a lockdown there from April 16.

“The federal government shall deploy all the necessary human, material and technical resources to support the state in controlling and containing the pandemic,” Buhari said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ing-of-lockdowns-in-lagos-abuja-idUSKCN2292QX
 
In Nigeria, authorities have denied that Covid-19 is responsible for a surge in deaths from pneumonia.

Doctors in Kano in the country’s north-west have reported a rise in fatal cases of pneumonia, but authorities have blaming malaria, meningitis, hypertension and other illnesses.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

The Bald Eagle
South Africa (138 & 285/5) defeat Australia (212 & 207) by 5 wickets in the final to clinch the World Test Championship 2023/25 title
16 17 18
Replies
1K
Views
30K
wrongun
W
The Bald Eagle
South Africa (183/9) secure an 11-run victory against Pakistan (172/8) in the 1st T20I to go 1-0 up in the 3-match series
13 14 15
Replies
1K
Views
22K
BouncerGuy
BouncerGuy
MenInG
Pakistan tour of South Africa (2024/25) -Discussion Thread
Replies
42
Views
3K
Nikhil_cric
N
J
Hubris is still India's problem in Australia
Replies
55
Views
1K
RexRex
RexRex
BouncerGuy
South Africa (163/6) defeat England (156/6) in a thrilling encounter by 7 runs in Super 8 Group 2 clash of ICC T20 World Cup 2024
5 6 7
Replies
489
Views
8K
GillEdits
G
Back
Top