TIG Post

Tag: coronavirus in Africa

  • Covid Omicron: No need to panic, South African minister says

    South Africa’s health minister says there is “absolutely no need to panic” over the new coronavirus variant Omicron, despite a surge in cases.

    “We have been here before,” Joe Phaahla added, referring to the Beta variant detected in South Africa last December.

    South Africa also condemned the travel bans imposed on the country, saying they should be lifted immediately.

    Omicron has been classed as a “variant of concern”. Early evidence suggests it has a heightened re-infection risk.

    The heavily mutated variant was detected in South Africa earlier this month and then reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) last Wednesday.

    The variant is responsible for most of the infections found in South Africa’s most populated province, Gauteng, over the last two weeks.

    The number of cases of “appears to be increasing in almost all provinces” in the country, according to the WHO.

    South Africa reported 2,800 new infections on Sunday, a rise from the daily average of 500 in the previous week.

    Government adviser and epidemiologist Salim Abdool Karim said he expected the number of cases to reach more than 10,000 a day by the end of the week, and for hospitals to come under pressure in the next two to three weeks.

    Dr Phaahla said he wanted to “reiterate that there is absolutely no need to panic” because this “is no new territory for us”.

    “We are now more than 20 months’ experienced in terms of Covid-19, various variants and waves,” he added at a media briefing.

    On Monday, Japan became the latest country to reinstate tough border restrictions, banning all foreigners from entering from 30 November.

    The UK, EU and US are among those who earlier imposed travel bans on South Africa and other regional states.

    UN Secretary General António Guterres said he was “deeply concerned” about the isolation of southern Africa, adding that “the people of Africa cannot be blamed for the immorally low level of vaccinations available in Africa”.

    The bans and restrictions have left the plans of a huge number of travellers up in the air.

    South African Annalee Veysey, who is getting treatment for cancer in South Africa, was expecting to be reunited with her family in the UK early in December.

    She has been separated from them for the last 15 months because of earlier travel restrictions and her treatment.

    “It’s almost two years of my life I’ve missed out with my family. Especially if you’ve had a journey with cancer, you find what your family means to you,” she told the BBC, adding that she felt “desperate”.


    South Africa’s main airport in Johannesburg was getting quieter over the weekend as restrictions were taking effect

    Hannah Day is stuck in Pretoria. She flew to South Africa last week after she got news that her son, who lives there, was in hospital after being bitten by a snake.

    He is now recovering but Ms Day needs to return to the UK for work. “I can self-isolate, but I cannot afford to pay for the quarantine,” she told the BBC.

    The WHO has warned against countries hastily imposing travel curbs, saying they should look to a “risk-based and scientific approach”.

    The world body’s Africa director Matshidiso Moeti said on Sunday: “With the Omicron variant now detected in several regions of the world, putting in place travel bans that target Africa attacks global solidarity.”

    However, Rwanda and Angola are among African states that have announced a restriction on flights to and from South Africa.

    South Africa’s foreign ministry spokesman Clayson Monyela described their decision as “quite regrettable, very unfortunate, and I will even say sad”.

    In a speech on Sunday, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa said the bans would not be effective in preventing the spread of the variant.

    “The only thing the prohibition on travel will do is to further damage the economies of the affected countries and undermine their ability to respond to, and recover from, the pandemic,” he said.

    Current regulations in South Africa make it mandatory to wear face coverings in public, and restrict indoor gatherings to 750 people and outdoor gatherings to 2,000.

    Mr Ramaphosa said South Africa would not impose new restrictions, but would “undertake broad consultations on making vaccination mandatory for specific activities and locations”.

    There are no vaccine shortages in South Africa itself, and Mr Ramaphosa urged more people to get jabbed, saying that remained the best way to fight the virus.

    Health experts said that Gauteng, which includes Johannesburg, had entered a fourth wave, and most hospital admissions were of unvaccinated people.

    Omicron has now been detected in a number of countries around the world, including the UK, Germany, Australia and Israel.

    In other developments:

    • China said it would offer 1bn doses of vaccines to African countries on top of the 200m it had already supplied
    • US Covid adviser Anthony Fauci says the government is on “high alert” and that spread is inevitable
    • A Czech woman who came back from Namibia recently was confirmed to have the Omicron variant
    • Portugal has detected 13 cases of the variant among players and staff of Lisbon-based Belenenses SAD football club
    • Australia has paused its plans to reopen its borders in light of the Omicron variant

    Source: bbc.com

  • Nigerian travellers call for help as they face high isolation costs in Ghana

    An exclusive video available to MyNigeria.com showed several Nigerians lamenting about how they were moved from the Kotoka International Airport in a convoy to an isolation center in East Legon, a suburb of Accra.

    They identified the hotel as M Plaza Hotel.

    The aggrieved travellers told MyNigeria.com that the Ghanaian authorities insist they tested positive for the Coronavirus in Accra despite taking and paying the mandated eighty thousand naira (N80,000) for a test in Lagos that proved they were negative.

    According to Engineer Ezekiel Kachi, one of the isolated travellers, the process of testing was not convincing because they were not given a properly documented test result.

    He explained further that the Ghanaian authorities lodged them in a hotel they could barely afford.

    He said the daily 530 Ghana cedis or 52,000 naira was beyond their budget adding that the authorities failed to provide them with the option of a cheaper hotel knowing fully well the occupants will bear the cost.

    “I’m Engineer Ezeh Kachi, from Nigeria, Igbo to be precise. I and my wife came here on the 25th of this month, which was on Wednesday for my honeymoon.

    “Unfortunately, the Covid test the Ghanaians ran on me and my wife at the airport declared me positive and my wife negative. And I can’t understand because I ran a test in Nigeria and we were declared Covid negative, and that was why we embarked on the journey,” he explained.

    In a WhatsApp voice note to MyNigeria.com, Mr Kachi confirmed to our reporter that he was released on Saturday, August 28, 2021, after his wife paid the hotel bill of one thousand seven hundred and twelve Ghana cedis (1,712GHS) for his three-night stay at M Plaza.

    Meanwhile, another Nigerian man identified as Omoefe Ramsey has alleged that men of the Ghanaian Police Service have threatened to arrest him and his other colleagues after an altercation with a doctor at the center.

    He said the policemen were invited at the behest of the doctor after a misunderstanding because they had questioned the approach of the medical team at the isolation center.

    “The doctor threatened to arrest me and my friends because we were having a misunderstanding with him regarding his manner of approach. The police were here this morning, they said they will be taking us to the police station tomorrow after we have settled the hotel bills,” he said.

    However, a high-ranking source within the Nigeria High Commission in Ghana has said the mission is doing its best to secure the release of Nigerian citizens who have “been held against their will” in the isolation center in Accra.

    The top source who preferred to be anonymous said the mission is “already working with the authorities” to ensure the issue is settled.

    Omoefe Ramsey tests result below show he tested negative for the virus before leaving Lagos:

    Source: mynigeria.com

  • Coronavirus: Kigali put under 15-day lockdown

    Rwanda has put Kigali under a 15-day lockdown to tame the spread of COVID-19. The capital city has seen a second wave after authorities relaxed some restrictions.

    The move comes after a virtual meeting chaired by President Paul Kagame on Monday.

    In a statement, the government called on Rwandans to heighten vigilance in observing the Covid-19 health guidelines to slow down the spread of the virus.

    The citizens have also been asked to reduce social interactions and limit movement only to essential services.

    The government has banned unnecessary movements including visits outside homes except for essential services including medical/healthcare, food shopping, and banking.

    The government has said that all movements will require a permit from Rwanda National Police.

    Travel between Kigali and other provinces and districts of the country has been banned except for essential services and tourism. Tourists, however, must have Covid-19 negative certificates.

    Also suspended is public transport. All employees in the public and private sectors have been instructed to work from home except for those providing essential services.

    Source: nation.africa

  • Africa’s Coronavirus cases surpass 3.2m – Africa CDC

    COVID-19 cases in Africa have reached 3.26 million as of January 18, 2021, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.

    According to the continental disease control and prevention agency’s Africa Covid-19 dashboard, the death toll from the pandemic stood at 78,911 on Monday, with 2.6 million recoveries.

    The southern African region is the hardest-hit area in Africa in terms of the number of cases, followed by northern African, according to the Africa CDC.

    The five highly-affected African countries include South Africa with 1,337,926 cases, Morocco with 459,671 cases, Tunisia with 180,090 cases, Egypt with 156,397 cases and Ethiopia with 131,195 cases, according to the latest figures from the Africa CDC.

    Most fatalities

    South Africa is also the most affected African country in terms of Covid-19-related deaths at 37,105 fatalities.

    According to the African Union (AU) Commission’s specialised healthcare agency, the five highly-affected African countries presently account for about 69 per cent of the total in Africa.

    Amid the recent spike in the number of new Covid-19 cases, the African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (Avatt) recently announced that a provisional 270 million vaccine doses had been secured for AU member states.

    At least 50 million doses from this tranche will be available during the crucial period of April through June of this year, according to the statement issued by the South African president’s office last week.

    Source: Xinhua

  • Scientists see new evidence South African variant binds more readily to human cells

    Scientists have new biological evidence that the so-called South African coronavirus variant binds more readily and strongly to human cells, making it more infectious, top local epidemiologist Salim Abdool Karim said on Monday.

    He was speaking at a presentation of research into the variant, known as 501Y.V2, by a team of scientists. The variant was identified by South African genomics experts late last year.

    It drove local COVID-19 infections to a new daily peak above 21,000 cases earlier this month.

    British scientists and politicians have expressed concern that vaccines currently being deployed or in development could be less effective against the South African variant. It has more than 20 mutations including several in the spike protein the virus uses to infect human cells.

    But Abdool Karim said there was as yet no answer to that question, although scientists around the world were working on it.

    South African experts have said that since vaccines induce a broad immune response it is unlikely that the mutations in the spike protein would completely negate the effect.

    Source: reuters.com

  • Nigerias Covid-19 cases count crosses 100,000 mark

    Nigeria has crossed the 100,000 mark of total infections since the pandemic began, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

    This is after 1,024 new cases were confirmed on Sunday. The commercial hub of Lagos reported 653 new cases, the highest in the country.

    The west African country has over the last eight weeks seen an increase in new cases.

    Lagos governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said the state government has opened a new oxygen plant to generate oxygen for patients. The plant can produce about 300 cylinders of oxygen per day, he said in a tweet.

    The NCDC said 1,358 people have so far died of Covid-19 related complications in the country.

    Source:BBC

  • Rwanda launches largest treatment centre amidst coronavirus surge

    Rwanda has launched its largest treatment centre for Covid-19 patients, which is expected to provide relief for overwhelmed hospitals across the country.

    The new centre has the capacity to admit 140 patients under its intensive care unit and comes at a time when the country is desperately trying to control a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic that had by January 8 claimed 115 lives, with 2,313 active cases.

    The treatment centre is housed within the newly launched Nyarugenge District Hospital in Kigali City, built to the tune of about $10 million.

    “The facility is expected to improve Covid-19 case management. It offers the highest standard of oxygen therapy and its ICU capacity allows to admit 136 patients,” Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) said on Twitter.

    Prior to its launch, Rwanda had a total of 114 intensive care unit beds, 90 fixed ventilators and 130 portable ventilators prioritised for Covid-19 patients, according to the Rwanda Biomedical Centre.

    More than 50 patients needing oxygen and intensive care are slated for transfer to the centre from other treatment centres in Kigali.

    Experts anticipate a third wave of the virus infection before the vaccine is accessible to much of the population.

    “Covid-19 has some factors in common with the previous respiratory pandemics such the 1918 Spanish Flu. It takes three waves for us to be able to manage it. Since the vaccine will not take effect immediately everywhere at the same time, we might have another wave of infections this year,” Dr Menelas Nkeshimana told The EastAfrican.

    Dr Nkeshimana, a member of Rwanda Joint Task Force for Covid-19 with experience in handling pandemics, added that the country faces the risk of rising infections because of its young and mobile population which facilitates contagion.

    In mid-December, Rwanda authorised up to 42 private clinics to begin Covid-19 tests using the rapid antigen tests. This was done to ease access to testing services and relieve pressure on public testing facilities.

    As of Friday, Rwanda had recorded 9,368 total coronavirus infections and 6,940 recoveries, out of 760,897 tests done since the virus was reported in the country in March.

    As the pandemic rages, Rwanda last week temporarily restricted movement of people between its capital city Kigali and other districts in its latest bid to curb surging coronavirus infections and deaths.

    A strict 8 pm to 4 am curfew was maintained while police and security agencies traverse the country to ensure that people adhere to social distancing and mask-wearing.

    The government announced plans to purchase vaccine doses from British-Swedish pharmaceutical AstraZeneca and American biotechnology firm Moderna.

    Rwanda expects to vaccinate 20 percent of its population in March 2021.

    Source: theeastafrican.co.ke

  • Coronavirus: Senegalese President declares state of emergency, curfew in two regions

    Senegalese President, Macky Sall declared Tuesday a reimposition of a state of emergency and a curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. from Wednesday on the regions of Dakar and Thies in order to contain the quick spread of the new coronavirus.

    Speaking on national television after an emergency meeting of the National Epidemic Management Committee, Sall said that these two regions accounted for more than 90 percent of confirmed cases in Senegal.

    Sall called on all members of the government to take all measures to ensure the application of the state of emergency.

    He also urged the population to comply with individual and collective prevention provisions by avoiding non-essential movements, gatherings and other public and private meetings, and to respect barrier gestures.

    Regarding vaccines, the president said that he ordered a national vaccination plan to be proposed as soon as possible, adding that Senegal continues its collaboration in the framework of COVAX initiative.

    Despite this “new wave of epidemic outbreak,” Senegal has human and material resources to deal with the spread, the Senegalese president said. He announced that the government would detail the measures to be adopted in this new phase in the Council of Ministers on Wednesday.

    Sall lifted the curfew and the state of emergency on June 29, 2020 after several months of semi-lockdown.

    Senegal has recorded to date 19,964 confirmed cases with 428 deaths.

    Source: GNA

  • China cancels $28m of DR Congo debt to help virus fight

    China has cancelled a part of the debt owed by DR Congo to help the sub-Saharan giant fight the coronavirus epidemic, the Congolese presidency said on Thursday.

    Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the gesture to put 180 million yuan ($28 million) back into government coffers during a visit to the country this week.

    Wang also offered a further $15 million to support wider development efforts.

    China is a major investor in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and researchers from Johns Hopkins University in the US have estimated that Chinese entities have extended more than $2.4 billion in loans over the past two decades.

    “The cancellation of the debt should enable the DRC to fight effectively against the Covid-19 pandemic,” the Congolese presidency said in a press release.

    Since the first coronavirus cases were detected on March 10, DR Congo has officially registered 18,738 cases and 610 deaths.

    Source: theeastafrican.co.ke/afp

  • 30-day lockdown for Zimbabwe following spike in coronavirus cases

    Following a spike in coronavirus cases, Zimbabwe has reintroduced a 12-hour curfew from 6 pm until 6 am.

    The new curfew was announced on Saturday by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.

    “We have seen a surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths, almost double in two months, from 8,374 on 1 November to 14,084 to date. In light of the recent surge in COVID-19 cases the following stiff lockdown measures are being put in place with immediate effect,” he said.

    Aside from the dawn-to-dusk curfew, other measures have been reintroduced.

    Only essential businesses can remain open and all gatherings such as wedding ceremonies or religious services are banned, with the exception of funerals, which are limited to 30 people.

    The measures could worsen the already troubled Zimbabwean economy.

    However, Health Minister Constantino Chiwenga justifies this decision by an increase in coronavirus contaminations which is said to have almost doubled since November — rising from 8,374 cases to more than 14,000.

    Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the country has recorded 369 deaths linked to coronavirus.

    Source: africanews.com

  • African countries to get COVID-19 vaccines in early 2021

    African countries will have access to the COVID-19 vaccines from the end of January through the first quarter of 2021, said a special envoy of the African Union (AU) on Wednesday.

    Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the AU Special Envoy on Mobilising International Economic Support for the continent’s fight against COVID-19, gave the assurance after a closed-door meeting with Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama in the capital city of Abuja.

    “As long as one person has it (COVID-19) in the world, no one is safe. And that is why poorer countries, lower-middle-income countries like Nigeria, need to get it as quickly as possible,” said Okonjo-Iweala, who is also Nigeria’s candidate for the Office of the Director-General of the World Trade Organization.

    The international initiative to get the COVID-19 vaccines distributed to developing and poorer countries in a quick and affordable manner involved the World Health Organization, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and the international community, she said.

    A platform called the COVAX facility has been developed with 186 countries on board, she noted, saying that the parties interested in serving the poor countries include 92 countries, for which resources have been raised in an attempt to distribute the vaccines quickly.

    She said the vaccines will initially be made available for frontline health workers, followed by some other target groups – older people, and those with underlying conditions.

    “I think the COVAX facility can cover about 20 percent to 23 percent of the population by the end of next year,” Okonjo-Iweala said.

    According to the AU envoy, Africans are blessed for not having the same incidence rate of COVID-19 as those of other continents. However, she warned African nations against complacency.

    The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the African continent has reached 2,284,907 as of Wednesday, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    The continental disease control agency said in a statement that the death toll related to the pandemic stood at 54,503. A total of 1,961,471 people have recovered across the continent so far.

    Source: GNA

  • Namibia’s ‘founding father’ contracts coronavirus

    Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho said Arsenal made it difficult for his side as they won 2-0 in the north London derby on Sunday, and congratulated Gunners counterpart Mikel Arteta after the match.

    Spurs took the lead just 13 minutes into the Premier League clash when Son Heung-min smashed home from outside the box.

    Harry Kane doubled his side’s lead when he ran onto a pass from Son and put it past Bernd Leno in first-half stoppage time.

    The win sees Tottenham return to the top of the table and Mourinho says it was no easy feat for his team.

    “It was a big game in every sense, not just because it was Tottenham-Arsenal,” Mourinho told Sky Sports.

    “I want to give words, congratulations to Mikel Arteta because he gave us a very difficult game. Tactically they were very good, very organized. They gave us problems, problems we were able to resolve. They have good tactical courage and incredible spirit. They are a good team and he is a good coach.

    “We were reading the game and making the changes to win it because 2-0 was in our hands against a great and difficult opponent but my boys did well today.

    “I am very happy with the result and the performance, but of course I want the team in the second half to play in a different way. In reality, you don’t always do what you want to do because your opponent forces you in a different direction.

    “You are winning 2-0, why would you expose your defensive block if you don’t have to? It was a very difficult game.

    “I can imagine tomorrow the headlines will be about them not being in a good position in the table, but I believe with these players and Mikel it will be Arsenal vs Tottenham again.”

    Tottenham have taken seven points from their last three matches in the league, beating Manchester City and drawing with Chelsea in the build-up to Sunday’s derby.

    “We grew up. I can imagine lots of people can imagine three matches in a row – against Manchester City, Chelsea, and Arsenal – would be a moment for us to drop points and go back to ‘normality’ but we didn’t go back to ‘normality’. We are there,” Mourinho added.

    “I believe one more week at the top of the table unless Liverpool wins by many [against Wolves].”

    While Son and Kane netted the crucial goals, Mourinho praised his star attackers for the work they do outside of the box, too.

    “Harry Kane clearing balls in the box, Sonny for the first 60 minutes as a winger and then a second striker – it is not just about scoring goals and being world-class players,” he said.

    “It is about being great guys and doing your best for the team.”

    Source: goal.com

  • South Africa fears a resurgence of coronavirus as localised outbreaks drive infections

    The emergence of new outbreaks in several parts of South Africa has raised fears of a resurgence of the coronavirus, which could be encouraged by the expected gatherings during the festive season.

    Authorities in the African country officially most affected by Covid-19 have been struggling to control the number of outbreaks since an increase was reported in November in the neighboring Eastern and Western (Southern) Cape provinces.

    Nationally, the daily number of new cases has surpassed 3,000, a 50% jump from an average of 2,000 earlier in November.

    More than half of this increase came from infections in the Eastern Cape and about 25% from the Western Cape Province.

    “The small outbreaks we are seeing right now are temporary. Something must be done,” Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said last week.

    The rate of coronavirus transmission in South Africa had dropped sharply after peaking in July, with fewer than three cases detected daily per 100,000 people between late August and early November.

    But the lull was short-lived, and authorities are now trying to combat a possible resurgence of the epidemic.

    “We are not in the second wave but in these two provinces (…) we are in full resurgence,” commented the government adviser in charge of the fight against the coronavirus, Salim Abdool Karim.

    If these new epidemic outbreaks are not contained, it is “only a matter of time” for the whole country to be affected, he warned.

    In the Eastern Cape’s largest city, Port Elizabeth, hospitals are already struggling with the rebound of the epidemic, although local authorities say the situation is under control.

    ‘Chronic shortages’

    Still reeling from the shock of the first wave, the health services requested assistance from the NGO Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in three public facilities.

    “The hospitals are really overwhelmed with a large number of patients, some even say more than in July,” said an MSF official for the province, Dr. Colin Pfaff.

    “The facilities are understaffed,” he added, criticizing “chronic shortages” and citing contamination among medical staff.

    Private facilities are also affected.

    “Our hospitals in the Eastern Cape are incredibly full at the moment,” Richard Friedland, head of South Africa’s largest private medical network, Netcare, told AFP last week.

    “We still have the capacity to treat new cases” with the installation of additional beds, he assured nevertheless.

    While the provincial government assures that hospitals are neither “full” nor “overwhelmed”, the South African Physicians Association accused the Department of Health this week of not providing adequate support to “overwhelmed” staff.

    South Africa has recorded 792,000 cases, including more than 21,600 deaths, for a population of nearly 58 million people.

    President Cyril Ramaphosa has ruled out a new lockdown at this stage.

    The stringent infections which came into effect at the end of March have seriously affected the economy of the most industrialized country on the continent, causing 2.2 million people to lose their jobs.

    The pressure to prevent a second wave is heightened by the prospect of the festive season when millions of people will travel to all the provinces to celebrate Christmas with their loved ones.

    Hopes also rest on the prospect of a vaccine.

    “The evidence that an effective coronavirus vaccine is possible brings hope,” President Ramaphosa commented recently.

    South Africa is currently conducting three clinical trials, and experts are hoping for first vaccinations in mid-2021.

    “Ideally, we would like to vaccinate 70-80% of the population, but this is not going to happen quickly,” warned Shabir Madhi, who is leading two of the three vaccine candidate trials, citing logistical and cultural challenges.

    But even 30-40% of the adult population “would help us a lot,” he added.

    Source: africanews.com

  • Coronavirus-related death toll in Africa nears 50,000

    The COVID-19 related death toll in the African continent has reached 49,412, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has said.

    The continental disease control and prevention agency said in a statement that the total reported cases of COVID-19 cases in the continent has reached 2,057,001 as of Sunday afternoon.

    A total of 1,737,277 people infected with COVID-19 have recovered across the continent so far, according to the Africa CDC.

    The most COVID-19 affected African countries in terms of the number of positive cases include South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, and Ethiopia, figures from the Africa CDC showed.

    The southern Africa region is the most COVID-19 affected region both in terms of the number of confirmed positive cases as well as the number of deaths, it was noted.

    The northern Africa region is the second most COVID-19 affected African region, according to the Africa CDC.

    South Africa currently has the most COVID-19 cases, which hit 765, 409.

    The country also has the highest number of deaths related to COVID-19, at 20, 845.

    Morocco comes next with 320,962 confirmed cases and 5,256 deaths, followed by Egypt with 112,676 confirmed cases and 6,535 deaths, Africa CDC said.

    Source: GNA

  • Africa’s debt crisis grows amid COVID-19 pandemic

    Hardly anyone would want to take the job of Angola’s minister of finance, Vera Daves. By the end of this year, the country’s gigantic amount of debt is expected to grow to over 120% of gross domestic product (GDP).?

    Even in normal times, without the coronavirus pandemic burden, this is a considerable challenge.

    “Our priority is to survive, save as many lives as possible, and prevent the healthcare system from collapsing. Then we want to reach a bearable debt level,” Daves said in October.?

    However, one step has been taken: Donors have pledged to relieve Angola of around €5.3 billion ($6.3 billion) in debt over the next few years. But this relief doesn’t mean Africa’s fifth-largest economy is out of trouble yet.?

    According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), African states need almost €410 billion to pay off all foreign debts due by 2023.?

    No money for schools and hospitals

    Nobody wants to imagine what else happens, warns Jürgen Kaiser of the development policy network erlassjahr.de.?”States would cease to fulfill basic needs: security, education, health care,” Kaiser told DW, adding that “many people no longer see a future in their home countries.”?

    But even now, some countries feel the pinch due to the pressure to pay the due debts.?

    Zambia is a case in point — the southern African country is on the brink of defaulting on its foreign debt after failing to pay more than $40 million last month. A grace period will expire on Friday, making it Africa’s first nation to default on its sovereign debt since the COVID-19 pandemic started.?

    Zambia was already struggling to reduce its $12 billion external debt burden, but it is not the only African country in this trouble. Mozambique also slipped into the debt crisis due to corruption scandals worth billions of dollars.?”If we had to pay our debts, the situation would be tough,” Adriano Nuvunga of the civil society network FMO in Mozambique told DW.?

    “Because we need funds to support the poorest of the poor. Since coronavirus began, they have not received any support at all,” Nuvunga said.?

    While Mozambicans must pay for billions stolen by few individuals in power, other countries’ liabilities grew for different reasons: With comparatively cheap money on the capital markets or borrowed from China, they financed massive infrastructure projects, bridges, and railroad lines.?

    COVID-19 pandemic aggravates the situation

    The rich-in-natural-resource countries had hoped to repay the loans by selling minerals, but then came coronavirus.”We have an important factor that affects countries like Angola, Gabon, or the Republic of Congo — it’s the drop-in oil prices,” says expert Kaiser.?

    Gabon’s Finance Minister Jean-Marie Ogandaga had projected the country’s economy to grow by up to 5%, with an oil price of $57 per barrel in the current budget. Now he expects the economy to grow by a maximum of 0.5% in 2020 — with an estimated oil price of $26 per barrel.?

    “If you suddenly get half your salary, you can’t just continue to pay your debts as if nothing was wrong,” Ogandaga said in May.?

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank have already promised to help some states. The 20 leading industrialized and emerging countries (G20) have allowed 73 particularly heavily indebted countries to suspend repayments until the end of June 2021.?

    But the initiative is only considered a first step. “The moratorium helps a lot, but it only postpones payments. But some countries need substantial debt relief,” World Bank head, David Malpass, told DW in October.?

    Private donors have another problem: Some African countries have borrowed large sums of money on the global financial markets in recent years. Now they must pay off the loans with incredible difficulty.?

    Next year, an estimated €18 billion in repayments to private creditors will be due. In contrast to public donors, however, there are still no signals that private donors will cut their debts.? “I, as a taxpayer, do not want to accept waivers so that Blackrock and the Deutsche Bank can continue to cash in,” Kaiser said.?

    Counting on the G20

    Hopes are now resting on the G20: the finance ministers of the most industrialized and emerging countries want to discuss debt relief for hard-hit countries at their meeting on November 13. They had already developed a corresponding procedure in October.

    According to media reports, however, an essential demand by experts and civil society is to be met: In the future, debt relief initiatives should include all donors — Western states, China, and also private creditors. A possible candidate for such a procedure is Zambia — which already had to ask its creditors for a payment extension in October.

    Source: dw.com

  • Kenya’s surging coronavirus infections risk derailing transformation agenda

    Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has said that a sudden increase in the number of COVID-19 positive cases in the country and fatalities has placed new hurdles towards the realization of the country’s socio-economic transformation agenda.

    Kenyatta said during a televised address to the nation that the pandemic had reversed economic progress achieved in 2019 besides wreaking havoc on livelihoods.

    “The pandemic has slowed down economic growth and disrupted provision of critical services like health and education. We must not backtrack in our commitment to defeat it and hasten our recovery,” said Kenyatta.

    Kenya’s total COVID-19 caseload reached 66,723 on Thursday after 919 people tested positive to the disease while national fatalities rose to 1,203 after 23 patients succumbed to the virus.

    The country’s positivity rate rose from 4 percent in late September to the current 17.5 percent amid concern that flouting of containment measures is to blame for the spike.

    Kenyatta on November 4, announced new measures to curb the spread of coronavirus including extension of night curfew hours, a halt on phased reopening of schools and greater uptake of remote work in the public sector.

    He acknowledged the heavy economic toll the pandemic has on his agenda for growth, shared prosperity, stability and peace, adding that its containment was interwoven with his legacy.

    Kenya is among 10 African countries with the heaviest COVID-19 caseload as efforts to flatten the curve prove elusive amid the emergence of new transmission hotspots like rural counties, schools and entertainment joints.

    The relaxation of containment measures in late September led to a dramatic surge in infections amid fears the East Africa’s largest economy could be on the throes of a second wave.

    The Ministry of Health said on Thursday a total of 60 patients are in intensive care units, out of which 20 are on ventilatory support.

    According to the Ministry, 89 patients are separately on supplementary oxygen, out of which 71 are in general wards and 18 in the high dependency unit.

    The Ministry also confirmed at least 2,207 healthcare workers have contracted the virus since the pandemic was first reported in the country in mid-March.

    Out of this, 23 healthcare workers have lost their lives since the pandemic struck. The Ministry said that there are 1,279 patients currently admitted in various hospitals across the country while another 6,102 patients are in the home-based care programme.

    So far, the total number of COVID-19 recoveries has reached 44,040.
    Public health experts said that a sense of fatigue combined with wanton violation of public health guidelines was fuelling new coronavirus infections and undermining economic recovery after months of slowdown.

    Githinji Gitahi, CEO of Nairobi-based AMREF Health Africa said that surging COVID-19 infections risk overwhelming public health facilities besides destroying livelihoods of vulnerable demographics.

    “The community transmission of coronavirus has escalated against a backdrop of flouting of public health protocols by a large swathe of the population,” Gitahi said at a local television briefing.

    “We must guard against a slide into a second wave that could worsen socio-economic challenges facing the country,” he added.

    Source: GNA

  • Algerian president transferred to German hospital

    Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Wednesday was transferred to Germany for a “thorough medical examination,” the presidency said, a day after he was admitted to a military hospital in the capital Algiers.

    The presidency said that the travel came on recommendation from his medical staff, but did not give details on his health condition or which hospital in Germany he would be admitted.

    On Saturday, Tebboune went into “voluntary quarantine” after several of his aides showed symptoms of the novel coronavirus.

    The presidency said on Tuesday that Tebboune was moved to a specialized unit at a military hospital in the capital Algiers and that he was in a “stable condition,” without stating if he tested positive for the coronavirus.

    Tebboune, 74, was elected president last December, eight months after long-time ruler Abdelaziz Bouteflika was forced to resign, under pressure following street protests and from the powerful army.

    Algeria has reported so far over 56,000 cases of the coronavirus and more than 1,900 related deaths.

    Source: GNA

  • SA health minister and his wife test positive for coronavirus

    Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize and his wife have tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19), Mkhize said on Sunday.

    “I wish to inform the public that this afternoon [Sunday] my wife, Dr May Mkhize, and I have tested positive for COVID-19,” Mkhize said in a statement.

    “We decided to go test yesterday [Saturday] when I started showing mild symptoms. I was feeling abnormally exhausted and as the day progressed I started losing appetite. My wife had a cough, was dizzy, and extremely exhausted. Given her symptoms, the doctors advised that she must be admitted for observation and rehydration,” he said.

    “Our close contacts in the past week have been a few of our family members and some of my health ministry team. We have informed them and advised them to immediately isolate in their homes and be tested. I am now in quarantine at home and both my wife and I remain optimistic that we will fully recover from this virus,” Mkhize said.

    He urged all South Africans to continue adhering to health protocols such as wearing face masks, keeping physical distancing, and washing or sanitizing hands.

    “As a country, South Africa had made significant strides in the fight against the pandemic.

    “Let us not dare regress. Whatever we do and wherever we go, we have to keep in mind that there remains a risk of a second wave. This virus only spreads through movement and contact of people. Therefore we must all play our part. We must protect ourselves and those we love.

    “I will use this quarantine period to rest and recharge because our task to improve the health services of our country and the lives our people, even post-Covid-19, remains of paramount importance,” Mkhize said.

    On Sunday the Health Ministry reported 703 793 cumulative confirmed cases of Covid-19 in South Africa, 1 662 new cases identified since the last report on Saturday.

    Recoveries now stand at 634 543 which translates to a recovery rate of 90%.

    Source: African News Agency

  • Madagascar lifts Covid-19 curfew

    Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina has lifted a curfew imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus.

    The president announced that sporting activities would be allowed but with an audience of not more than 200 people.

    Passengers boarding domestic flights will be required to take a coronavirus test 48 hours before departure and will only be allowed to board if the test is negative.

    Only one airport was cleared for international flights beginning this month with strict guidelines in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

    Mask wearing and social distancing are still mandatory across the country.

    Madagascar recorded a spike in virus cases in July forcing the government to reintroduce a lockdown in the capital, Antananarivo.

    President Rajoelina had promoted a herbal tonic that he said cured Covid-19 but the World Health Organization has maintained that there is no cure for the disease.

    The tonic is now being manufactured in tablets and continues to be distributed in the country.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Kenya lost coronavirus billions to corruption – Audit report

    Kenya lost 2.3bn Kenyan shillings ($21m; £16m) during the procurement of Covid-19 items, according to a recent audit report.

    The Auditor General, Nancy Gathangu, said managers at the state body responsible for purchases, the Kenya Medical Supply Authority (Kemsa) violated procurement rules leading to loss of public money.

    The government ordered an investigation following a public outcry.

    Kemsa has denied that any money was stolen.

    The audit report says that Kemsa bosses colluded with companies that were given contracts. Some of the companies were registered around the time the country recorded its first Covid-19 case.

    Items were overpriced and some procured in excess and are still at the Kemsa warehouses.

    It says the state body also diverted money meant for the universal health coverage programme and purchased Covid-19 items without approval from the ministry.

    The auditor general recommended for an independent audit of the transactions. She also urged investigating agencies to probe any criminality in the procurement process.

    The report comes after local media reported that Covid-19 donations from Chinese billionaire Jack Ma were stolen, diverted and sold instead of being distributed.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Uganda ‘to begin human trials’ of coronavirus vaccine

    Uganda will begin human trials of a Covid-19 vaccine in November, the Daily Monitor newspaper reports quoting ministry of health officials.

    The vaccine, called Self Replicating RNA, has been developed through a partnership between Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and Imperial College in the UK.

    The head of a presidential taskforce on epidemics, Monica Musenero, is quoted as saying the first trial will be conducted on 10 Ugandans.

    If successful, a second trial will involve about 100 to 200 people followed by a final trial of between 1,000 and 3,000 people, she said.

    The bulk of the project is being financed by the UK university.

    The East Africa country has to date confirmed more than 7,000 coronavirus cases and 75 deaths.

    Source: BBC

  • South Africa about to reopen, but not to everyone

    South Africa plans to begin a gradual and cautious resumption to opening its borders to international travel on October 1.

    President Cyril Ramaphosa warned, however, that travel may be limited to countries that do not have high infection and transmission rates. The list of permitted and prohibited countries has yet to be released.

    For those who will be permitted to travel to South Africa, a negative Covid-19 test result no older than 72 hours will be required. Failure to provide this will result in mandatory quarantine at the traveler’s cost. All travelers will also be required to download the Covid-19 Alert App, which enables contact tracing.

    Ramaphosa’s announcement was met with relief by South Africa’s tourism stakeholders who have seen their livelihoods threatened or lost as a result of the pandemic lockdown.

    “Tourism can be South Africa’s economic lifeline,” said Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, CEO of the Tourism Business Council of South Africa. “Every day we have been closed to international travel, we have lost 336 million rand (almost $20 million) of spend, and the government has lost vital tax revenue. Opening up our tourism sector will have a direct and immediately positive impact on government’s coffers at a time when it most needs it.”

    The government’s decision to reopen to international travel and tourism allows the industry to get back on its feet, said David Frost, CEO of Southern Africa Tourism Services Association, the voice of inbound tourism. “Covid-19 has grounded our world, but tourism will return. And we need to support its full recovery at the earliest opportunity, since it is the single sector with the greatest potential to drive the type of economic growth that South Africa most needs.”

    Source: Travel Weekly

  • Tracking Africa’s coronavirus cases

    The outbreak of the new coronavirus has reached every nation in Africa, a continent of 1.2 billion people.

    As of September 19, the confirmed coronavirus death toll on the continent stood at 33,626, with deaths including the former president of the Republic of the Congo, Jacques Joachim Yhombi-Opango, and Somalia’s former Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein.

    There are 1,390,560 confirmed infections and 1,140,980 recoveries, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

    Experts warn fragile healthcare systems in many African countries could be overwhelmed in the face of a severe outbreak of COVID-19, the highly infectious respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus.

    Below is an interactive map tracking all the coronavirus cases in Africa.

    Countries with confirmed cases of COVID-19



    Source: Johns Hopkins University
    Last update: September 17, 2020

    Source: aljazeera.com

  • Covid-19: Uganda launches plasma study

    Scientists from Uganda’s Makerere University and the national army have launched a study to find out whether plasma from recovered coronavirus patients has an effect on those having the virus.

    This is the country’s first Covid-19 convalescent plasma study.

    Plasma is the clear, straw-coloured liquid portion of blood that remains after red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and other cellular components of blood are removed.

    Convalescent plasma is that taken from individuals who have recovered from an infection, and may contain antibodies against that particular disease.

    The team has collected the first 162 units of plasma from donors.

    The units collected had to be tested for infections, including Covid-19, HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis, and can only qualify to be used if they are disease-free.

    The researchers say that there is emerging evidence to support the use of convalescent plasma for the treatment of Covid-19, especially among severe cases.

    They add that there is an urgent need to determine the efficacy of convalescent plasma.

    There is currently no cure or vaccine for Covid-19.

    Uganda has reported more than 5,000 cases of the virus and 58 deaths.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Kenya resolves coronavirus spat with Tanzania

    The Kenyan government has included neighbouring Tanzania on its list of countries whose travellers are exempted from mandatory quarantine upon arrival.

    The move is considered controversial as Tanzania has not published figures of Covid-19 cases in months.

    The two East African nations have been locked in a diplomatic standoff since May when Kenya blocked Tanzanian truck drivers from entering the country.

    The Kenyan government had long feared that its neighbour was not transparent on how it dealt with the pandemic. In June, President Magufuli declared Tanzania was “coronavirus free” thanks to prayers by citizens.

    But the tension seems to be cooling off now.

    Other countries whose travellers Kenya has exempted from mandatory quarantine include South Africa, the US, India, Mexico and Spain – who are among countries with the highest Covid-19 cases in the world.

    The Kenyan authorities will still require all arriving travellers to have a Covid-19-free certificate. Passengers with body temperatures above 37.5 degrees will be quarantined.

    Kenya has more than 36,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and more than 600 deaths.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Nigerian doctors suspend strike after talks

    Doctors in Nigeria have suspended their strike after holding talks with the authorities.

    The doctors had downed their tools on Monday to demand a pay rise, better welfare and improved facilities. Those on the front-line on Covid-19 treatment had joined the strike.

    The National Association of Resident Doctors (Nard), whose members make up 40% of doctors in the country, said it is calling off the strike to give government enough time to resolve their demands.

    It said the government had met some of their demands – including getting life insurance for the medics.

    This is a short respite for the government, but the association said they will review the situation after two weeks if the outstanding issues are not resolved.

    The impact of the strike was already being felt – forcing the government to draft graduate doctors on their mandatory one year national service to replace the striking doctors in hospitals.

    The government described the strike as ill-timed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

    There have been several strikes in Nigeria since the beginning of the pandemic, with doctors demanding better pay and personal protective equipment.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Angola to reopen schools in October

    Angolan authorities have agreed to reopen schools from October, after learning institutions in the country were closed to control the spread of COVID-19.

    Learning activities were cancelled in March after the country recorded the first case of COVID-19.

    State Minister and Head of presidential palace Adão de Almeida said the country will continue to observe certain COVID-19 guidelines until October 9 when schools will resume.

    The minister announced more restrictions will be enforced from September 9 and that everyone in a public place will be required to wear face masks, observe social distance and have temperature checks.

    At the same time, the government agreed to resume domestic flights from September 14 and international flights from September 21.

    Schools will be required to adhere to certain protocols including testing of all staff for COVID-19 before the resumption of classes.

    “Classes will resume in phases and on alternating days. Grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 will resume on October 5”, Education minister Luísa Grilo said during a press conference.

    Grade 7 and 8 will resume on October 19, she added.

    The class sessions will be divided into two and will go for two and a half hours for primary schools and three and a half hours for secondary schools.

    The academic year will end on March 2021, the Education minister added.

    Meanwhile, church services in Luanda province are set for resumption on October 19.

    Angola has reported 3,033 COVID-19 cases, 124 deaths and 1,215 recoveries.

    Luanda is the epicentre with 1,497 cases and 120 deaths. Officials said the capital will remain locked until October 30.

    Source: theeastafrican.co.ke

  • Coronavirus: Oxford University vaccine trial paused after participant reportedly falls ill

    Final clinical trials for a coronavirus vaccine, developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, have been put on hold after a participant had a suspected adverse reaction in the UK.

    AstraZeneca described it as a “routine” pause in the case of “an unexplained illness”.

    The outcome of vaccine trials is being closely watched around the world.

    The AstraZeneca-Oxford University vaccine is seen as a strong contender among dozens being developed globally.

    Hopes have been high that the vaccine might be one of the first to come on the market, following successful phase 1 and 2 testing.

    Its move to Phase 3 testing in recent weeks has involved some 30,000 participants in the US as well as in the UK, Brazil and South Africa. Phase 3 trials in vaccines often involve thousands of participants and can last several years.

    The New York Times is reporting a volunteer in the UK trial has been diagnosed with transverse myelitis, an inflammatory syndrome that affects the spinal cord and can be caused by viral infections.

    However, the cause of the illness has not been confirmed and an independent investigation will now work out if there was any link to the vaccine.

    Source: BBC

  • Ethiopia launches virus messaging service

    The authorities in Ethiopia have launched a mobile service which allows people to receive their coronavirus test results through an SMS.

    The results will be available three hours after one is tested, the Ethiopian Public Health Institute director Meseud Mohammed said.

    A short code 8335 will be used to send notifications with the results.

    The country has so far conducted 970,591 laboratory tests for coronavirus.

    Ethiopia currently has 55,213 confirmed cases of Covid-19 with 20,283 patients having recovered.

    The country has recorded 856 fatalities from the virus.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Mozambique warns of rising Covid-19 cases

    The Mozambican health authorities have expressed concern over the rising Covid-19 cases and the growing number of people going to hospital.

    The health system could be saturated by the trend, National Deputy Director of Public Health Benigna Matsinhe warned.

    Dr Matsinhe said it was time to increase preventive measures, as she believes that there are many people infected with Covid-19, travelling around the country.

    The country on Thursday recorded an additional death from the virus bringing the total number of fatalities to 26.

    There was an additional 90 positive cases of Covid-19, bringing the number of people infected by the virus to 4,207.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Africa to get 220 million Covid-19 vaccine doses

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that once a Covid-19 vaccine is approved, Africa will get at least 220 million initial doses.

    The first batch will prioritise front-line healthcare workers and vulnerable groups, according to the WHO Africa Program Area Manager Richard Mihigo.

    He said distribution will be based on the population of each country.

    Mr Mihigo said all 54 countries had expressed interest in a Covid-19 vaccine.

    Africa has a population of more than 1.3 billion people.

    The global vaccine initiative, called COVAX, intends to help purchase and fairly distribute 2 billion doses of approved vaccines by the end of 2021.

    The initiative has nine vaccine candidates that are being tested globally.

    Two of the vaccine candidates are currently being tested in Africa, according to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) boss Richard Hatchett.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Nigeria’s Buhari denies aide contracted virus

    Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s office has dismissed a media report that indicated one of his aides had tested positive for Covid-19.

    The presidency said all aides are routinely tested for coronavirus and the named staff member had always returned a negative test.

    “The general public is hereby advised to ignore such stories that are intended to mislead the people an create unnecessary anxiety about the safety of the president,” a statement by the president’s spokesperson said.

    President Buhari’s former chief of staff Abba Kyari died of Covid-19 in April.

    Source: bbc.com

  • SA COVID-19 funds audit ‘frightening’

    A scathing report into the use of South Africa’s Covid-19 relief fund has revealed overpricing and potential fraud, the auditor general says.

    Kimi Makwetu says the audit uncovered “frightening findings”.

    In some cases personal protective equipment (PPE) was bought for five times more than the price the national treasury had advised.

    The report also has flagged up 30,000 relief grants which “require further investigation”.

    Mr Makwetu has been tracking the spending of 500 billion rand ($26bn; £19bn) which is equivalent to 10% of the country’s gross domestic product.

    “A lot of the effort that we put into this on the detection side of things has revealed a number of frightening findings that require to be followed up very quickly so that there is no significant passage of time before the required actions are implemented,” he said at a press conference on Wednesday.

    The allocated funds were meant to assist vulnerable households with food parcels, unemployment grants, support small business, farmers and to also procure personal protective equipment.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Uganda introduces Covid-19 test fee to manage pandemic

    The decision by the government of Uganda to introduce a fee for voluntary tests for Covid-19 threatens to disrupt travel and the resumption of tourism, as well as trade.

    It will even affect the return of Ugandan citizens from abroad.

    On Sunday evening, the government issued a directive requiring agencies to charge $65 (£50) per test.

    It affects cross-border truck drivers, visitors to the country and Ugandans who go home.

    Organisations that plan to test their staff and individuals, who want to know if they have contracted the virus, will also have to pay.

    The government in Kampala says the fee will contribute to the cost of managing the pandemic. So far, 350,000 people have been tested, revealing about 2,900 positive cases and at least 30 deaths.

    People who have developed symptoms, or have been in contact with someone who has contracted Covid-19, will not have to pay.

    It is feared the charge may undermine efforts to contain the virus, by discouraging people from getting tested.

    It could also increase the cost of imported goods as truck drivers have to pay, as do any potential tourists.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Kenya Airways incurs more losses over Covid-19

    Image caption: The airline was struggling to cope with losses before the coronavirus pandemic

    Kenya Airways has posted a pre-tax loss of $133m (£100m) for the first six months of the year, as its performance stalled during the coronavirus pandemic.

    The national carrier was already struggling to cope with losses and tough competition from rivals before the Covid-19 outbreak forced governments to ground airlines.

    The company has revealed that it lost revenues of $100m between January and June, as passenger numbers fell 56%, compared to last year.

    The airline told investors in a statement that it will take a long time to recover with “reduced demand in passenger business and increased costs due to tight health and safety measures”.

    Kenya Airways, which is due to be nationalised by the government, also admitted its “business focus for the rest of 2020 will be ensuring” survival.

    In recent weeks the carrier has confirmed it will reduce the number of routes it flies and continue to lay off staff.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Seven teenagers ‘killed during Covid-19 enforcement’ in Angola

    Angolan security forces have killed at least seven people – all of them teenagers – between May and July while enforcing measures to curb the spread of coronavirus, an investigation by international rights body Amnesty and Angolan campaign group Omunga has found.

    The youngest victim was 14-year-old Mário Palma Romeu, known as Marito, who was shot on 13 May while out on a shopping errand.

    “One teenage boy was shot in the face while he lay injured; another was killed when police fired on a group of friends practising at a sports field. A state of emergency is no excuse for such outrageous human rights violations,” said Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s Director for East and Southern Africa.

    All the killings took place in poor neighbourhoods of the capital, Luanda.

    In one incident a young man with pre-existing health problems was stopped by police because he was not wearing a mask, he was forced to do a somersault as a punishment, when he refused a policemen fired a gun over his head, the rights groups say.

    He was taken to hospital where he died. Neighbours told officers that the young man had problems with his heart and hypertension. The results of the autopsy have not yet been released.

    https://twitter.com/NewsFromAmnesty/status/1298207959445626886

    “The ultimate aim of combating the spread of Covid-19 should be to save lives and protect livelihoods. When state agents are responsible for the killing of people, it defeats this purpose,” said João Malavindele, executive director of Omunga.

    Amnesty said in a statement that the investigation was done by piecing together accounts of families and friends.

    It alleges that officers from the Angolan National Police and Angolan Armed Forces are suspected to be responsible for the killings.

    The rights body urged Angolan authorities to ensure their ongoing investigations are swift, independent and impartial.

    They also called for those suspected to be responsible for human rights violations and abuses be held to account and families provided justice, truth and reparation.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Kenya ‘expects lockdown-induced rise in births’

    The authorities in Kenya are preparing for a surge in the number of births from the end of this year, according to the Standard newspaper, citing a report from the health ministry on the effects of coronavirus.

    Data from across the country indicate about a 10% rise in antenatal clinics since March this year compared to the previous two years, the newspaper reports.

    No explanation has been given for the surge, but a health expert is quoted as saying that health facilities focused on the pandemic and compromised on provision of contraceptives.

    Kenya’s government imposed a nationwide night-time curfew in March after confirming the first cases, and encouraged employers to allow people work from home.

    Movement in and out the capital, Nairobi, and two other coastal counties was also temporarily restricted.

    Kenya’s population stands at 47.5m according to a 2019 census.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Coronavirus: Nigeria reciprocates travel bans

    Nigeria’s government says it will bar entry to citizens of countries that do not allow in Nigerians due to coronavirus restrictions.

    Aviation Ministry spokesman James Odaudu told the BBC that the government had taken note of the ban placed by some countries on flights from Nigeria, and the policy would be enforced in the interest of its citizens.

    The European Union is among those barring Nigerians entry.

    International flights resume on 29 August but the head of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority said only a few flights per day would be permitted as a test run for the protocols put in place to ensure a safe return to international operations.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Coronavirus: Africa’s death toll nears 27,000 mark

    As of August 21, the confirmed Covid-19 case total from 55 African countries has reached has reached 1,158,236.

    Reported deaths in Africa have reached 26,978 and recoveries 880,859.

    South Africa has the most reported cases – 599,940, with deaths numbering 12,618. Other most-affected countries include Egypt (97,025), Nigeria (50,954), Algeria (40,258), and Ghana (43,260).

    The numbers are compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (world map) using statistics from the World Health Organization and other international institutions as well national and regional public health departments. For the latest totals, see the AllAfrica clickable map with per-country numbers.

    Source: allafrica.com

  • Coronavirus in Africa: ‘Signs of hope’ as cases level off

    Average daily cases of coronavirus in Africa fell last week, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

    The continent-wide daily average was 10,300 last week, down from 11,000 the week before.

    The director of Africa CDC, Dr John Nkengasong, said it was a “sign of hope”.

    Africa has recorded 1,147,369 cases, more than half of which are in South Africa, and about 26,000 deaths.

    Dr Nkengasong said he was hopeful “that we are beginning to bend the curve slowly” but added that “it’s very, very early – we are dealing with a very delicate virus that spreads rapidly”.

    “We take this news with cautious optimism,” he said, explaining that he didn’t want people to get complacent and stop trying to prevent the spread of the virus.

    “We really want our population not to show what we call ‘prevention fatigue’, where we slow down on the measures that we are putting in place.”

    He urged people to continue their efforts to prevent the spread of the virus, specifically saying that people needed to continue to wear masks, to maintain social distance and that more testing is needed.

    Dr Nkengasong also said that more than one million tests had been conducted across the continent, with South Africa being one of the main countries to test people.

    Recorded cases and deaths are relatively low compared to other parts of the word such as parts of Europe, Latin America and the US, which alone has more than 5,500,000 cases, but some experts warn that there may be many more cases than are recorded in Africa because of the lack of testing.

    The spread of the virus appeared to be relatively slow in Africa in the early stages of the pandemic but the recorded rate of infection gradually accelerated, especially in South Africa.

    South Africa has 596,060 cases of coronavirus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. That is more than half the cases across Africa and the fifth-most cases in the world.

    The country’s cases have been falling, and this has been driving the fall in cases across the continent. At its peak, there were more than 12,000 daily confirmed new cases and that has fallen to an average of 5,000.

    The next African country to feature on the list is Egypt, in 31st place in the world with 96,914 cases.

    Source: BBC

  • Namibians warned against elephant dung coronavirus ‘cure’

    Namibians Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula has warned people against using elephant dung to “cure” Covid-19.

    Some traditional healers say the elephant dung can be steamed and inhaled as a treatment for flu, headaches and nosebleeds but the practice has not been scientifically tested.

    “I am worried about unscrupulous people who would make other people spend money on useless remedies in the hope that they will be cured,” Mr Shangula is quoted as saying by AFP news agency.

    The southern African country has to date confirmed 4,464 coronavirus cases and 37 deaths.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Long queues at liquor stores in South Africa as coronavirus restrictions are eased

    South Africa eased its Covid-19 restrictions to level two on Tuesday, allowing the resumption of sale of alcohol and cigarettes.

    Under the new regulations, sale of alcohol is permitted from Monday to Thursday between 09:00 to 17:00 local time.

    Queues have been witnessed outside liquor stores in major cities.

    People are also allowed to travel between provinces. Visits to family and friends are permitted but in small groups.

    Parks and beaches have reopened for outdoor activity and sporting events allowed to resume but without spectators.

    Wearing of face masks in public remains mandatory,

    The opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party has opposed easing of restrictions, warning it could lead to further loss of life, according to media reports.

    South Africa is the hardest hit country on continent by the coronavirus pandemic and has so far confirmed more than 580,000 cases.

    The Eye Witness News website has tweeted a video clip of residents in the commercial hub of Johannesburg queuing outside liquor stores:

    Source: bbc.com

  • Coronavirus: South Africa eases lockdown as ‘outbreak reaches peak’

    South Africa’s president has said coronavirus infections appear to have peaked in the country, as he announced a sweeping relaxation of lockdown measures.

    President Cyril Ramaphosa said nearly all restrictions on the country’s economy will be eased from Monday.

    A controversial ban on the sale of alcohol and tobacco will be lifted.

    Domestic travel, small family gatherings and the reopening of businesses will all be allowed.

    In a TV address on Saturday, Mr Ramaphosa said the easing of restrictions will help to revive the country’s flagging economy after a period of great hardship for the country.

    However, he called on South Africans not to let their guard down against Covid-19 despite “signs of hope”, warning of difficult times ahead.

    The country has recorded more than half of Africa’s coronavirus infections, with more than 570,000 cases and 11,500 deaths to date.

    South Africa also has the fifth-highest number of cases in the world after the US, Brazil, Russia and India, but infections have started to dip in recent days.

    Mr Ramaphosa said the number of new daily confirmed cases had dropped from a peak of more than 12,000 to an average of 5,000 over the past week.

    The number of active cases has declined to about 105,000 and the recovery rate risen to 80%, the president said.

    “As we look back at the past five months, all indications are the South Africa has reached the peak and moved beyond the inflection point of the curve,” Mr Ramaphosa said.

    How has South Africa handled its coronavirus outbreak?
    In March, the South African government introduced some of the toughest lockdown restrictions in the world. Borders were shut to international travellers, schools were closed, alcohol was banned and people were told to stay at home.

    Those measures were credited with slowing the initial spread of Covid-19, giving the health sector valuable time to prepare for more patients.

    Meanwhile, the economy faltered as businesses struggled to stay afloat during lockdown.

    To ease the economic pain, the government began a gradual reopening in June, but restrictions were reintroduced last month as infection rates began to rise again. A state of emergency was declared effective until 15 August.

    A large proportion of South Africa’s coronavirus infections have been reported in Gauteng, the country’s financial hub.

    The influx of patients has put an incredible strain on South Africa’s hospitals. A BBC investigation found an array of systematic failures that had exhausted healthcare professionals and brought the health service in some areas near to collapse.

    This is a big moment for South Africa.

    Praising his government’s response to the pandemic, President Ramaphosa spoke of a new phase, and signs of hope.

    And he has a point. The official death toll here is 11,000. But a quick, aggressive response has enabled most hospitals and provinces to contain an outbreak many feared would overwhelm the nation.

    The economic price has been devastating, though. President Ramaphosa spoke of hardship and hunger for millions, and warned it would take years to rebuild the economy.

    There are still big concerns about a second wave of infections, which, Mr Ramphosa warned, could be worse than the first.

    But many South Africans – still sporting face masks in public – will be relieved that the lockdown is easing.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Ten African innovations to help tackle coronavirus

    As Africa passes more than a million confirmed Covid-19 cases, innovators on the continent have responded to the challenges of the pandemic with a wide range of creative inventions. Here are 10 we’ve picked out.

    1. ‘Doctor Car’ robot

    Students from the Dakar Polytechnic School in Senegal have built a multifunctional robot designed to lower the risk of Covid-19 contamination from patients to caregivers.

    The device is equipped with cameras and is remotely controlled via an app. The designers say it can move around the rooms of quarantined patients to take their temperatures and deliver drugs and food.

    2. Automatic hand-washing machine

    Nine-year-old Kenyan schoolboy Stephen Wamukota invented a wooden hand-washing machine to help curb the spread of coronavirus.

    The machine allows users to tip a bucket of water to wash their hands by using a foot pedal. This helps users avoid touching surfaces to reduce the risk of infection.

    Stephen was given a presidential award in June.

    3. The Respire-19 portable ventilator

    Amid a shortage of ventilators on Covid-19 wards in Nigeria, 20-year-old engineering student Usman Dalhatu attempted to help meet the shortfall.

    Dalhatu built the portable automatic ventilator to help people with respiratory problems – often a symptom of a severe coronavirus infection. He now plans to build up to 20 ventilators.

    4. 3D mask printing

    Natalie Raphil is the founder of Artificial Intelligence company Robots Can Think South Africa.

    She’s using 3D printers to produce 100 masks a day for use in some of Johannesburg’s major hospitals. South Africa accounts for around half of all reported coronavirus cases in Africa.

    5. Solar-powered hand-washing sink

    Amid a lockdown in Ghana aimed at curbing the spread of Covid-19, shoemaker Richard Kwarteng and his brother Jude Osei decided to design a solar-powered hand-washing basin.

    When hands come into contact with a sensor on the device, soapy water is automatically released. An alarm goes off after 25 seconds of hand-washing – within the timescale recommended by the World Health Organization.

    6. Web-based X-ray lung scans

    Engineers in Tunisia have created an online platform that scans lung X-rays to try to determine if a person could be suffering from coronavirus.

    When an X-ray is uploaded onto the platform, it runs a test to detect signs of a possible coronavirus infection. Researchers at the National Institute of Applied Science and Technology in Tunis say the tool is 90% effective in indicating the probability of infection.

    The platform is still in development, but thousands of lung X-rays have been fed into the system to enable it to recognise the impact of Covid-19 on lungs.

    7. Police robots on lockdown patrol

    Authorities in Tunisia deployed police robots on the streets of the capital Tunis in April to enforce lockdown measures.

    8. Wooden money sanitiser

    Kenyan mobile money agent Danson Wanjohi has built a wooden device that sanitises cash notes that are passed through a slot in the machine.

    Wanjohi constructed the mechanism using a motor, a rubber band and gears which enable notes to pass through the machine.

    As the notes pass through the device, they are cleaned with a sanitising solution.

    9. Rapid 65-minute Covid-19 testing kit

    South African tech entrepreneurs Daniel Ndima and Dineo Lioma have created a Covid-19 testing kit which provides results in just 65 minutes.

    Typically, it can take up to three days for Covid-19 tests to produce results.

    The testing kit is known as qPCR, and features a technology used to measure DNA. The testing kit needs to undergo regulatory approval before it can be rolled out.

    10. Socially distanced haircuts

    In Ethiopia, barbers have come up with a way to continue cutting hair for clients while minimising the risk of Covid-19 transmission.

    The barbers stand in a specially constructed booth which acts as a partition separating them from clients, minimising person-to-person contact.

    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Necessity is the mother of all inventions.<br><br>Ghanaians are the BEST <a href="https://t.co/7u9Re9CmOi">pic.twitter.com/7u9Re9CmOi</a></p>&mdash; Saddick Adams (@SaddickAdams) <a href="https://twitter.com/SaddickAdams/status/1246131455786434560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

    Source: bbc.com

  • Coronavirus: South Africa crime rate plummets during lockdown

    Crime in South Africa dropped by up to 40% during the first three months of its lockdown, official figures show.

    The police minister said most types of crimes went down between April and June – including sexual assault and arson.

    He added that a controversial alcohol ban during the Coronavirus lockdown had helped, but that attacks on liquor stores had increased in the pandemic.

    South Africa has among the world’s highest crime rates. It has recorded over half the COVID-19 cases in Africa.

    More than 500,000 infections and 11,000 deaths have been reported in the country – although BBC Africa Editor Mary Harper says this may be because of its reliable testing rates.

    Police Minister Bheki Cele told reporters on Friday that the figures “paint a never-seen-before ‘rosy’ picture of a peaceful South Africa experiencing a “crime holiday”.

    “These statistics show major decreases in all crime categories compared to the same comparative period last year,” he said. “A 40.4% decrease in the number of rape cases were reported during the three months.”

    Contact and property-related crimes – including arson and malicious damage – went down by 29%.

    The ban on alcohol and cigarettes in lockdown South Africa has been controversial.

    The country implemented a ban on alcohol sales between 27 March and 1 June. The ban was reimposed on 12 July, and remains in place.

    In April, at the start of the lockdown, Mr Cele warned that his officers would “destroy the infrastructure where the liquor is sold”.

    The police minister has been accused of encouraging a heavy-handed approach towards people caught drinking – including the alleged beating to death of a man in his own garden.

    Bar and restaurant owners have also protested against the ban, saying it will destroy their businesses.

    Last month, the South African Police Service released the country’s overall crime stats for the year 2019/2020.

    Overall in the last year, carjacking, robberies of non-residential properties and murders all increased from the previous year.

    Sexual offences, driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, and possession of illegal firearms were also up.

    Source: bbc.com

  • African countries to begin coronavirus antibody testing

    Seven African countries will begin administering coronavirus antibody tests next week, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has said.

    The testing is part of an effort to understand how widespread the infection is on the continent.

    “Liberia, Sierra Leone, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Nigeria, Morocco are the first set of countries that committed to it,” head of Africa CDC John Nkengasong said in a weekly briefing on Thursday.

    He said the continent had conducted 9.4 million coronavirus tests so far, closing in on the 10 million target set in collaboration with member states.

    Dr Nkengasong said Africa was making good progress for vaccine development.

    He said a continental strategy was being developed to set up a consortium of clinical trials and then begin the procurement and financing of vaccines.

    The continent has so far recorded 1,084,904 coronavirus cases, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Tracking Africa’s coronavirus cases

    Lebanon’s government has stepped down as Prime Minister Hassan Diab blamed endemic corruption for a devastating explosion last week that tore through the capital.

    President Michel Aoun accepted Diab’s resignation on Monday and asked the government to stay on in a caretaker capacity until a new cabinet was formed.

    Tensions have been boiling over in the country following the massive explosion at Beirut’s port that killed some 200 people and wounded 6,000 others, according to the latest tally.

    “This crime” was a result of corruption that is “bigger than the state”, Diab said in a televised statement, adding that he was taking “a step back” so he could stand with the people “and fight the battle for change alongside them”.

    “I declare today the resignation of this government. May God protect Lebanon,” Diab said, repeating the last phrase three times.

    The developments follow a weekend of angry, violent anti-establishment protests in which 728 people were wounded and one police officer killed amid a heavy crackdown by security forces.

    Through analysis of videos and images of the security response by the army and men in plain-clothes on the day, and examination of medical documents and interviews with doctors who treated the wounded, Al Jazeera established that security forces violated international standards on the use of force.

    Political and economic reforms

    The August 4 disaster, which was caused by highly explosive ammonium nitrate that was stored at Beirut’s port for more than six years, has fuelled popular anger and upended politics in a country already struggling with a major economic crisis.

    Most Lebanese blame their leadership’s corruption and neglect for the explosion, which has caused damage to the extent of an estimated $15bn and left nearly 300,000 people homeless.

    Since October, there have been mass demonstrations demanding the departure of the entire sectarian-based leadership over entrenched corruption, incompetence and mismanagement.

    But the ruling oligarchy has held onto power for so long – since the end of the civil war in 1990 – that it is difficult to find a credible political figure not tainted by connections to them.

    Although Diab’s resignation had appeared inevitable after the catastrophe, he seemed unwilling to leave and only two days ago made a televised speech in which he offered to stay on for two months to allow for various factions to agree on a road map for reforms. But the pressure from within his cabinet proved to be too much.

    ‘Historic turning point’

    Diab’s government was formed after his predecessor, Saad Hariri, stepped down under pressure from the protest movement. It took months of bickering among the leadership factions before they settled on Diab.

    His government, which was supported by Hezbollah and its allies and seen as one-sided, failed to implement the sweeping political and economic reforms that it had promised.

    Now the process must start again, with Diab’s government in a caretaker role as the same factions debate a new one.

    Al Jazeera’s Bernard Smith, reporting from Beirut, said the change is going to be challenging because Lebanon’s electoral system is set up “to protect the political elite in the country”.

    “To change that system, those political elites have to agree to it,” Smith said.

    “Even an explosion as catastrophic as Tuesday’s might not be enough to get those elites easily give up their grip on power … That’s why international pressure, people believe, is necessary.”

    On Sunday, world leaders and international organisations pledged nearly $300m in emergency humanitarian aid to Beirut, but warned no funds would be made available until Lebanese authorities committed themselves to the political and economic reforms demanded by the people.

    Rami Khouri, a professor at the American University of Beirut, described the developments of the past week as “a historic turning point in the modern political governance of Lebanon” that is “just at the beginning”.

    Khouri said there were essentially two main forces currently in Lebanon: “One is Hezbollah and its close allies, and the other one is the protest movement, or the revolution as they call themselves – these are all kinds of people but they do represent the majority of the population.”

    “The question is, will there be a serious negotiation now,” he said, noting that the formation of “a hybrid government” tasked to address Lebanon’s critical issues was likely.

    “They will have to agree on whether the transitional government that comes in is a serious reformist government, with ‘clean’ and efficient people that can get the support of the international community and do a quick deal with the IMF.”

    Meanwhile, Habib Battah, a Lebanon-based journalist, questioned how long the caretaker government would remain in place since it is “very difficult” to form a government in Lebanon.

    “The Diab government was many months in the making,” Battah said.

    He said while the resignation could be seen as a victory for the protesters who view the government as a “corrupt system”, it is important to note that others benefit from it.

    Political parties control schools and hospitals, among other things across the country.

    “These parties are really tough to compete against in elections,” Battah said, adding that it was up to the international community to stop supporting these parties if it were serious about helping Lebanon.

    Source: aljazeera.com

  • Nigerias COVID-19 cases rise to 46,577

    Nigeria has reported 437 new cases of the novel coronavirus, according to local health authorities, bringing the total number of infections to 46,577.

    The death toll in the country reached 945 as three more fatalities were recorded over the past 24 hours, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said in its latest daily update.

    It said that as many as 33,186 patients have been discharged from hospitals.

    With more than 15,800 infections, commercial capital Lagos remains the area hardest hit by the virus in the country.

    It is followed by the Federal Capital Territory, which includes the capital Abuja, where nearly 4,500 cases have been confirmed to date, and the southwestern Oyo state with over 2,800 cases.

    Nigeria is strengthening disease surveillance to help stop the spread of COVID-19. In Lagos, the World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting the health authorities by mobilizing surveillance teams to help investigate and trace patients with symptoms in health facilities, the WHO said last week.

    Since first appearing in Wuhan, China last December, the novel coronavirus has spread to at least 188 countries and regions.

    The pandemic has killed more than 731,453 people worldwide, with nearly 19.87 million confirmed cases and over 12.12 million recoveries, according to figures compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University.

    Source: www.aa.com.tr

  • Zambia spy chief Samuel Nkhoma dies of coronavirus

    Zambia’s intelligence chief, Samuel Nkhoma died Friday, August 7, 2020 from an undisclosed illness, state radio reported.

    But medical sources said he died after testing positive for Coronavirus and was being treated at an isolation centre in the capital Lusaka.

    Secretary to the Cabinet, Dr Simon Miti was quoted as saying Mr Nkhoma died after “being sick for some time and was being attended by medical personnel.”

    He was last seen publicly few days ago when President Edgar Lungu commissioned a flyover bridge as part of the Lusaka decongestion project.

    The number of COVID-19 deaths in Zambia have now hit 200.

    On Thursday, August 6, 2020, the country recorded 21 deaths of the Coronavirus with over 7,000 infections so far.

    20 COVID-19 deaths were recorded at Lusaka’s University Teaching Hospital while another was at the outpost in a populated slum of Kanyama west of the capital.

    80 patients were currently admitted to health facilities and 37 were on oxygen support while six were in the Intensive Care Unit.

    Health officials were concerned with the low levels of compliance to public health measures against COVID-19 among members of the public and that this is contributing to the increase in COVID-19 infections.

    Several people in the capital seem to have gone back to the cavalier attitude of going into public places with much concern.

    Source: allafrica.com

  • Coronavirus: Fact-checking fake stories in Africa

    As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases across Africa passed the one million mark this week, we’ve looked into some of the widely shared fake news about the pandemic on the continent.

    Claim: Ghana’s president has endorsed a conspiracy theory video

    Verdict: False

    A voice recording endorsing various false conspiracies about the coronavirus pandemic has been attributed to the President of Ghana. We aren’t sure who’s speaking. It is a West African accent, but it is definitely not President Nana Akufo-Addo.

    Ghana’s Information Minister has confirmed that the voice was not the president’s and said the claim was “obviously false”.

    The message makes various unsubstantiated claims about the origins of the virus, including the widely-shared false notion that the pandemic was a planned event, a so-called ‘plandemic’.

    It also features false claims about mandatory vaccinations and the involvement of Bill Gates in manipulating events.

    We’ve previously written in detail about these compulsory vaccine rumours and the ‘plandemic’ conspiracy theory.

    Different versions of the clip have been circulated in Europe, North America and Africa.

    One, posted on a Nigerian YouTube channel, has clocked up more than 400,000 views.

    The man who runs the channel says he changed the title of the video to “Africa Leader…Exposes Bill Gates Deadly Vaccine For Africa” after people in the comments pointed out it inaccurately named the Ghanaian president.

    However, Nana Akufo-Addo’s photograph is still showing.

    Claim: Drinking alcohol can ward off coronavirus

    Verdict: This false claim was intended as satire, but has been widely shared in Africa.

    A satirical video of a man’s reaction to the re-imposition of an alcohol sale ban in South Africa on a TV news channel has been viewed thousands of times on Facebook and is also circulating on WhatsApp.

    The video has been edited to replace a senior representative of the Liquor Traders Association of South Africa (who was being interviewed), with a comedian.

    The comedian Thandokwakhe Mseleku posted the video of his television appearance on Instagram and YouTube.

    In the video, he says: “Sanitiser has got 70% alcohol, so if you are drinking alcohol, it is like you are sanitizing your inside.”

    Judging by some of the comments to the video, people clearly thought it was real.

    The comedian later labelled his videos as ‘parody’. We have asked Thandokwakhe Mseleku for a comment.

    Drinking alcohol-based hand sanitiser is extremely dangerous and has led to deaths. It certainly doesn’t protect you from coronavirus.

    Claim: Eating high-alkaline foods can eliminate the virus

    Verdict: False.

    A misleading poster claiming to offer advice from inside isolation hospitals on what to do to protect someone from coronavirus has been circulating on social media in Africa.

    It claims that the ‘acidity’ of the virus can be eliminated by consuming high-alkaline foods, and lists a variety of fruits with their apparent pH levels.

    The pH scale ranges from zero (very strong acids) to 14 (most alkaline). A pH of 7 is neutral.

    Some of the values in the shared poster are way off this scale: Avocados register 15.6 and Watercress 22.7. This is simply incorrect.

    But would alkaline foods kill the virus?

    Different parts of the body have different natural pHs which are naturally kept in balance and can’t be changed through diet. For example, blood is very slightly alkaline, your stomach is acidic.

    So eating certain foods would not have an effect on the pH level inside cells.

    “Given that it would be impossible to increase the pH of your cells, then it’s a bit of a pointless argument to determine if high pH would inhibit the virus”, says Connor Bamford, a virologist at Queen’s University Belfast.

    According to Lee Mwiti, Chief Editor, Africa Check, the spread of misinformation on WhatsApp is a particular challenge for fact checkers.

    The messaging app is hugely popular across the African continent, but as a closed platform it is hard to measure the spread of falsehoods and debunk them. He says Africa Check’s work with ‘tiplines’ and podcasts means they are “quite confident that it is a strong source of misinformation”.

    Claim: A coronavirus vaccine trial in Africa has led to the death of two children

    Verdict: False.

    When two French doctors controversially suggested on French TV in April that early vaccine trials should be conducted in Africa, their comments caused an uproar, including among some in the African diaspora.

    A London-based vlogger responded to the French doctors’ comments by falsely claiming that vaccine trials were already under way in Guinea, and made the further false accusation that two children had died as a result.

    The video was illustrated with what was claimed to be a local news report showing unrest on the streets and interviews with sick children.

    In fact, the news report was from March 2019, before the coronavirus outbreak began, and the incident was not related to a vaccine.

    The Guinean health ministry put out a statement at the time which explained some people had experienced side-effects after being given an anti-parasitic drug treatment.

    According to officials interviewed in the report itself and local articles, there were no deaths reported from this treatment.

    The claims in the video first surfaced in May and were debunked at the time, but they have continued to circulate on Facebook and closed WhatsApp groups, and have been watched around 25,000 times on YouTube.

    Local fact checkers are working hard to debunk these and other false stories circulating online.

    Lee Mwiti from Africa Check says the most shared and enduring falsehoods are those that have tapped into people’s anxieties, vulnerabilities and “lack of control in a time of unprecedented disruption”.

    Source: bbc.com