Coronavirus: Africa facing the pandemic on Thursday, August 20

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9 min

Africa had more than a million confirmed cases of coronavirus this Thursday, August 20. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) regional office for Africa, the countries most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic are South Africa, with 596,060 cases including 12,423 deaths, the Egypt, with 96,753 cases including 5,184 deaths, Nigeria, with 50,488 cases including 985 deaths, Ghana, with 43,094 including 256 deaths, and Morocco, with 46,313 cases including 743 deaths.

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• CDC Africa confident in the continuation of the management of the pandemic

After observing a drop in the average number of people testing positive for Covid-19 daily last week, the director of the African Union's Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) John Nkengasong said he saw it as a "  sign of 'hope  ' in the fight against disease on the continent.

The average in Africa last week was 10,300 new cases per day, up from 11,000 the previous week, the Africa CDC director said at a press conference in Addis Ababa.

"  We have started to slowly flatten the curve,  " he said, adding that officials were welcoming the news of this slight improvement with "  cautious optimism  ." “  It is (still) very, very early. We are dealing with a very sensitive virus that is spreading very quickly, but it is important to identify these slight trends which are positive,  ”he added.

Africa had identified Thursday morning 1,147,369 cases of the new coronavirus, half of which in South Africa, which has the fifth largest number of cases globally. In Africa's most contaminated country, the daily number of new cases has dropped from a high of 12,000 per day to an average of 5,000.

• WHO and Unicef ​​in favor of reopening schools

Both the World Health Organization and Unicef ​​recommend that African governments promote the safe reopening of schools. According to a WHO survey, out of 39 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, only six of them have fully reopened their schools. In 14 countries, they remain closed for the moment, and in 19 countries, they are partially reopened for examination classes.

WHO and Unicef ​​are concerned about the consequences of a prolonged disruption of facility closures, such as increased food insecurity, violence against children, exploitation, and child pregnancies. “  We must not be distracted by our efforts to contain Covid-19 and end up with a lost generation. Just as countries safely open businesses, we can reopen schools. This decision must be guided by a thorough risk analysis to ensure safety and by key measures such as physical distancing  , ”said WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti.

The two international organizations as well as the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) recommend to set up a staggering of the school day between the classes and to space the tables between the pupils to respect the physical distance. The installation of hand washing devices and the wearing of a mask are also recommended.

Today, @OMS_Afrique & @UNICEFAfrica urged African governments to help reopen schools by taking action to limit the spread of # COVID19. School closures cause further harm to children. https://t.co/JqY70RuhTG pic.twitter.com/3p8O9LaiAK

► Also to listen: The consequences of the coronavirus on employment and education in South Africa

• Concerns about the rise in coronavirus cases in Libya

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is worried about the sharp rise in the number of contaminations in Libya: since June, confirmed cases have multiplied by 15. The President of the ICRC, Peter Maurer, was able to meet in Benghazi the strongman of the east of the country, Marshal Khalifa Haftar, as well as officials of the Red Crescent, to discuss the fight against the spread of the virus. In Tripoli, he also met with Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity (GNA), Fayez al-Sarraj. According to Peter Maurer, these discussions represent a positive signal in the growing awareness of the importance of the work of humanitarians in containing the pandemic. The ICRC has also resumed its visits to prisons in Misrata, Tripoli and Benghazi.

• In Morocco, new restrictions in the country's major cities

Restrictive measures are being tightened in the cities of Marrakech and Casablanca, according to an official statement released on Thursday. “  Exceptional traffic authorizations  ” are now imposed on residents when they travel. In Marrakech, several hotspots of the epidemic will be isolated from the rest of the city, and the opening hours of shops and restaurants will be reduced. Traffic controls at the entrances and exits of the metropolis will also be tightened. In Casablanca, several beaches are now closed. The beaches near the capital Rabat have also been closed since Tuesday. Previously, several neighborhoods had already been isolated in Tangier, Casablanca, Rabat and Marrakech to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

The kingdom has been facing an upsurge in contamination in the country since the beginning of August: more than 1,000 new confirmed cases are recorded every day. 46,313 cases and 743 deaths have been recorded since the start of the epidemic.

• Congo will reopen its air borders on Monday

In Congo, the National Coordination for the Management of the Coronavirus Pandemic has decided to reopen the country's air borders as of Monday, August 24. Land, river and sea borders, however, are not affected by the measure: only freight transport can circulate there. All borders had been closed to travelers since the end of March.

• Sierra Leone: malaria benefits from fear of Covid-19

In Sierra Leone, the number of malaria cases increased dramatically during the pandemic. Fleeing hospitals for fear of contracting Covid-19, people infected with malaria arrive at health centers in much more critical situations than before the arrival of the new coronavirus pandemic in the country.

Lack of adequate medical monitoring is particularly dangerous for children during the current rainy season, when malaria is on the rise due to the increasing mosquito population.

Some 219 million people were infected with malaria worldwide in 2017, 435,000 died from it. More than 90% of the victims are African, according to figures from the World Health Organization (WHO).

"  We are facing an epidemic of malaria, with symptoms of severe malnutrition for most of the children who arrive at the hospital  ", explains Belgian pediatrician Laure Joachim, member of the MSF medical team at Hangha hospital. , based in Kenema, the third largest city in the country.

For fear of contamination with the coronavirus, many parents prefer to turn to traditional medicine, sometimes worsening the pathologies. False information relating to Covid-19 is also helping to keep patients away from hospitals and health posts, which are generally under-equipped.

As a result, malaria continues to "  cause great suffering and decimate families  " in Sierra Leone, despite the government having distributed four million mosquito nets since March, laments the head of infectious diseases at the Ministry of Health, Samuel Juana Smith.

Officially the country has only recorded some 2,000 cases of Covid-19, including 69 deaths.

• The curfew lightened in Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe, authorities are shortening the curfew imposed to limit the spread of the coronavirus. It will now start at 8 p.m., instead of 6 p.m. previously, until 6 a.m. The hours between which shops can open have also been extended: shops must now close at 4.30 p.m. instead of 3 p.m. In the country, 5,643 confirmed cases and 150 deaths have been recorded since the start of the pandemic.

• In Namibia, rumors about the healing qualities of elephant droppings

The Namibian government has warned its people against rumors that elephant droppings are treating Covid-19. “  We have seen people on social media selling excrement at exorbitant prices. There is a whole frenzy behind this rumor  ”, worries the spokesperson for the Minister of Environment, Forests and Tourism, Romeo Muyunda.

No curative property of Covid-19 has been detected in elephant excrement, said Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula, who recalled that no cure existed to date.

Namibia has been facing an upsurge in the number of contaminations for several weeks. The capital Windhoek has become the new epicenter of the epidemic in the country. A total of 4,665 confirmed cases and 39 deaths have been reported.

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 vaccine race is in full swing
→  How to make a mask and use it well

• Our series  :
→ "  The response, country by country  "
→ "  Words of nurses  "

• After Covid-19, towards a new world?

• See also the records of RFI Knowledge on Covid-19
→  Birth of a pandemic
→  Daily proof
→  The history of epidemics
→  Science facing Covid-19
→  The geopolitical consequences

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