Coronavirus: Africa faces the pandemic on Friday May 15

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According to figures from the African Union Center for Disease Prevention (CDC), the African continent counted this Friday May 15 75 866 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 2,570 deaths due to the disease. South Africa is the most affected country, ahead of Egypt and Morocco.

Publicity

• End of a virtual electoral campaign in Benin

Despite the pandemic and the request of the African Court of Human Rights to postpone these elections deemed "not inclusive", the Beninese authorities have chosen to maintain the local elections on Sunday in the 77 communes of the country. Four parties of the presidential movement will be in the running, as well as an opposition party, the FCBE, which accuses the party of servility towards the power. The other opposition parties, including Sébastien Adjavon's USL, were again excluded from the race, and called for a boycott of the ballot.

The electoral campaign ends this Friday evening , and took place exclusively online and via the media, for health reasons. Each party was allowed 40 minutes a day on radio and television for their propaganda, and candidates who violated the ban on a "physical" campaign were harshly teased. "  There will be as part of health protection measures against Covid-19, hydroalcoholic gel to disinfect hands and masks to protect us against the pandemic,  " assured the chairman of the electoral commission. Benin recorded 339 cases of coronavirus and 2 deaths.

• Togo : opponents in forced quarantine

Sixteen activists from the “Kpodzro dynamic”, the rally which had supported Gabriel Agbéyomé Kodjo's candidacy for the presidential election in February, were placed in forced quarantine. They were to be brought to court on Wednesday and to be tried for rebellion, but were finally locked up in the Lomé gendarmerie after sharing a central prison cell with a coronavirus positive patient.

The opposition demands their release and that the sick be treated in an appropriate center, denouncing a voluntary endangerment on the part of the authorities. On Tuesday, detainees from Lomé prison demanded their release or transfer to other penitentiary centers. Togo has 238 cases of infection and 11 deaths.

• WHO defends team expelled from Burundi

The four WHO employees must have left Burundi before this evening, according to the government order. After the UN which expressed its concern yesterday, the WHO took the defense of its staff. Dr Matshidiso Moeti, director of the WHO African office, replied to RFI: “  What I would like to say is that Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo is a long-standing employee of WHO and someone from highly respected. He is a very competent person, who is also a good leader and a good manager. We are in communication with the government of Burundi to clarify and understand the reasoning that led to this decision. I would also like to emphasize that we remain committed to collaborating with Burundi, which is a member of WHO. Above all, we are ready to support their response to this Covid-19 pandemic, and to continue working with them on all the health programs on which we usually collaborate with the Burundian government.  "

• More than 230 million people infected in one year ?

According to the latest WHO forecasts, up to 236 million Africans could be infected with the new coronavirus in the first year, most with little or no symptoms, and up to 190,000 die from it. This "modeling" is based on data from 47 countries on the continent, representing a billion inhabitants. Last week, the Organization had mentioned 29 to 44 million potential patients, but this study did not include patients with little or no symptoms. However, almost 9 out of 10 carriers do not know that they are infected with Covid-19, and only 4% trigger a serious form.
WHO also holds its general assembly from Sunday. The organization approaches it in a very weak position .

• The informal sector is preparing for the end of confinement in Congo-Brazzaville

Across the continent, informal workers are severely affected by the restrictions. This is particularly the case in Brazzaville , where our correspondent Loïcia Martial is taking us to Africa Economics today. Hairdressers, taxi drivers, restaurant owners, hope to be able to resume their activities with the relaxation of confinement which must start on Saturday, May 16.

• MSF alarmed about the situation in Bissau

Médecins sans frontières requests the intensification of prevention and response actions in Guinea-Bissau. Indeed, the number of cases has increased alarmingly lately, going from 54 to 913 in two weeks, which makes the country one of the most infected on the continent in number of cases per capita.
"  The virus continues to spread in communities and it is spreading faster than we do,  " said Monica Negrete, MSF head of mission in the country. 

In addition, the high level of stigma and the lack of knowledge of the populations on the disease are factors which worsen the situation and slow down the possible stop of the spread of the virus, the NGO said in a press release.

• Chadian police want to wear a mask

In Chad, it has been a few days since the government decided to make the wearing of masks compulsory. One measure among many to deal with the spread of the coronavirus which contaminated 372 people leaving 42 dead. For several days, the roundabouts and major arteries of the Chadian capital have been occupied by the police who are trying to dissuade the recalcitrant.

• First death in South Sudan

South Sudan has officially registered its first death from the coronavirus, "  a senior figure  ," according to the Ministry of Health, which said no more. 231 cases were identified, the first on April 5. The possible spread of the coronavirus in overcrowded IDP camps is worrying humanitarian organizations. Despite the calls for caution, the authorities have reopened markets, shops, bars and restaurants.

• No new cars for Namibian ministers

Namibian President Hage Geingob has announced to his ministers and senior officials that they will be riding their luxury sedans for five more years, in the name of funding for the fight against the coronavirus. "  No new vehicles will be ordered for members of the Namibian government and its officials,  " spokesman Alfredo Hengari said in a statement. The fleet of German executive sedans "  will not be renewed during the 2020-2025 period  ," he added. This symbolic freeze comes as part of a plan to reduce public spending by around 10 million euros, which should make it possible to "  reallocate public resources to urgent priorities  ", including the fight against the health but above all economic consequences of Covid -19. Namibia is spared so far with 16 cases identified and no deaths.

Our selection on the coronavirus

• Listen to our daily chronicle  Coronavirus info

• Our  explanations  :
→  What we know about the mode of contagion
→  Disparities and inequalities in the face of the coronavirus: what must be remembered
→  Triple therapy, Discovery… update on research
→  The race for the vaccine is in full swing
→  How to make a mask and use it well

• Our series  : "  The response, country by country  "

• Each evening, find the State of the world and Africa facing the pandemic

• See also the files of RFI Savoirs on the Covid-19:
→  Birth of a pandemic
→  Everyday life put to the test
→  The history of epidemics
→  Science facing the Covid-19
→  The geopolitical consequences

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