Cononavirus: Africa faces the pandemic on Tuesday June 9

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Africa had this Tuesday, June 9, 195 875 confirmed cases of coronavirus. The Covid-19 has already claimed the lives of 5,334 people on the continent, according to the African Center for Disease Prevention and Control. The countries most affected by the epidemic are South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria and Algeria.

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• End of curfew in Togo and Tunisia

In Togo, the health curfew decreed at the beginning of April ends on Tuesday. The government is also lifting the entry and exit ban in force in certain cities, such as Lomé, Tsévié, Kpalimé and Sokodé. Wearing a mask is now mandatory across the country, according to the executive statement.

As of this Tuesday, June 09, 2020, the @GouvTg decides on the total lifting of the curfew, the lifting of the closure of the cities concerned and the wearing of compulsory masks at #Togo. The @GouvTg calls on # Togo-lais to respect barrier measures to limit the spread of #virus

Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed also decided on Monday to end the curfew in force in the country since March 18. Tunisia has not registered a community case for 17 days and no imported case for five days. In total, the results show 1,087 positive tests and 49 deaths.

• The mayor of Johannesburg placed in quarantine

In South Africa, the mayor of Johannesburg, Geoffroy Makhubo, was placed in solitary confinement after one of his staff tested positive for coronavirus. He must remain in quarantine until the result of his test. All staff in his office are also tested. "  The mayor will continue to carry out his duties and lead the fight against the spread of Covid-19 in the city,  " said his spokesman.

South Africa surpassed the 1,000 death mark on Monday. Since the first phase of deconfinement on June 1, the country has seen the number of confirmed cases increase considerably: more than half of the 50,879 cases recorded have been during the last two weeks.

• Guinea launches clinical trials on the effect of medicinal plants against Covid-19

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research launched on Monday three clinical trials on the effectiveness of certain medicinal and food plants against the coronavirus. The first two have already obtained the favorable opinion of the Scientific Council to start their research. One aims to evaluate the effectiveness of cinchona, a plant whose bark makes it possible to obtain quinine, element entering into the composition of chloroquine, associated with another drug on patients presenting no symptoms. The other should examine the effects of Cospherunate and an antiviral on uncomplicated patients.

The third clinical trial is in the finalization phase and has not yet been launched. He must study the effectiveness of artemisia annua against Covid-19. Artemisia is the plant used in Covid-Organics , a remedy in the form of a decoction presented by the Madagascan President Andry Rajoelina as a treatment against the coronavirus.

• First repatriation of Malagasy nationals since the start of the pandemic

This Monday evening, 177 Malagasy women were repatriated from Kuwait. For the most part, these are housekeepers who had been hired from families in this Gulf country. It is therefore the first Malagasy repatriation to the island since the start of the pandemic and the closing of the country's borders on March 15. Authorities have suggested that other repatriations of Malagasy stranded abroad are under consideration. A relief for the thousand nationals, mainly in France and China, who have been asking to return home for several months.

• Unexplained deaths in Nigeria's Kano state are linked to Covid-19

Nigeria's Minister of Health, Osagie Ohanire, says that between 50% and 60% of unexplained deaths in Kano state, or around 600, may well be linked to the coronavirus. These are the findings of the investigation by a medical team on the considerable increase in the number of deaths in the state in April and early May: at that time, the death rate was four times above average. This increase in deaths was initially attributed to diseases such as diabetes, malaria or hypertension. More than half of the deaths took place at home and the majority of them concern elderly people with pre-existing health problems.

The northern state of Kano is not the only state in Nigeria to have seen an unexplained increase in the number of deaths in recent months. The states of Jigawa, Bauchi and Yobe were also affected.

Our selection on the coronavirus

• Listen to our Coronavirus Info column 

• Our  explanations  :
→  What we know about the mode of contagion
→  Disparities and inequalities in the face of the coronavirus
→  Triple therapy, Discovery… update on research
→  Remdesivir, antibodies and immunity
→  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  ”
→ “  Nurses  ' words ”

• After Covid-19, towards a new world?

• 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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