In Burundi, the delay in the arrival of the Corona virus is due to "God protect" ... but after the country recorded the first infections, the authorities once again reaffirm divine intervention and see no good reason for taking measures that hinder daily life.
The ruling party has sought to reassure the country's population that there is no need to worry about the deadly epidemic sweeping the world, allowing life to go as usual and even go ahead with the presidential elections scheduled for May 20.
"Do not be afraid. God loves Burundi and if there are people who have been infected with the virus, this is how God shows His authority in Burundi," said the presidential candidate for the National Council for the Defense of Democracy, General Everest Ndayeshimiye.
"The injured are in good condition, while Kofid kills 19 people everywhere else," he told supporters during a political rally.
While strict closures have crippled life in cities throughout Africa and the world, restaurants and bars are still open in Burundi, with the authorities ruling out similar restrictions on citizens ’freedoms.
As weddings and funerals continue, thousands of believers flock to churches and mosques, and crowded markets remain open in this country of 11 million people.
The political campaigns of Ndayashimi and his rival, Agathon, are still continuing, and competitive rallies are still being held between the presidential candidates.
The most surprising thing is that Burundi is one of the few countries that have maintained the first and second football tournaments, with spectators being asked to wash their hands and undergo a temperature test.
But not all residents of the government share their faith and optimism.
"Everyone knows we will one day wake up as the number of casualties in the country explodes, even if we are God's favorite," said a resident of Bujumbura, Burundi's main city.
Some banks impose social divergence procedures, and handwashing stations have been introduced at the entrance to many shops and restaurants.
The government also took some measures, and transmitted public health messages through television and radio stations, while the international airport in Bujumbura was closed a month ago.
Its land borders with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were also closed, but it left its borders open with Tanzania, the lifeline of economic life.
The government said more than 675 people were quarantined throughout Burundi. "We have documented that these quarantine sites are overcrowded and unhygienic, which increases the risk of the virus spreading uncontrollably," said Louis Mudge, head of the Human Rights Watch branch in Central Africa.
"When quarantine is imposed, the government must ensure that the quarantined have access to food, water, housing and health care," he said.
Diplomats, UN officials and civil society groups have expressed concern about Burundi's ability to cope with the epidemic.
Burundi was among the last countries to report confirmed cases of coronavirus with three cases last week.
Earlier, government spokesman Prosper Ntahuramiye said Burundi "thanked God" for saving the country from the epidemic.
"It looks as if the government is doing everything it can to avoid discovering new cases so that they don't have to delay the elections," said a Burundi activist, who declined to be named.
A diplomat, who asked not to be named, also said that all official decisions made about the Corona virus so far were "political, not medical, and general elections will be held on May 20 at any cost."