Covid-19: Madagascar renews the state of health emergency for two weeks

President Andry Rajoelina, here with a bottle of “Covid-Organics” decoction in April 2020, announced on Sunday April 18, 2021 new restrictive measures to fight the pandemic.

RFI / Sarah Tétaud

Text by: RFI Follow

3 min

The President of the Republic Andry Rajoelina spoke on television and national radio on Sunday evening, April 18 to announce new, stricter measures to fight against the spread of Covid-19 which saturates hospitals and specially opened treatment centers for coronavirus patients.

The state of health emergency is renewed for the next two weeks.

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With our correspondent in Antananarivo,

Laetitia Bezain

With nearly 10,000 new cases of coronavirus, including just under 200 deaths in one month, Andry Rajoelina decided to confine Analamanga, the capital region, the most affected by the epidemic, over the weekend. Economic activities can continue on weekdays. The borders of this region are closed to the rest of the country, as are those of Boeny, Nosy Be, Sofia in the northwest of the island, Atsinanana, in the east and Sava, in the Northeast. Gatherings of more than 50 people are prohibited throughout the country.

"

 It is true that there have been anomalies 

" admitted Andry Rajoelina, referring to the lack of oxygen and the power cuts in hospitals and treatment centers.

Anomalies that have led to the death of patients in recent days.

The Head of State announced the import of 2,000 oxygen cylinders and 2,000 concentrators and asked for a " 

zero cut plan 

" from the public electricity distribution company.  

While Madagascar has joined the Covax initiative, the president did not expand on the anti-Covid-19 vaccine.

The name (s) of the vaccines chosen will be brought to the attention of the Malagasy this week, he said, without specifying when the first doses will arrive on the Big Island.

A speech that comes as the number of coronavirus contaminations continues to increase in the Big Island.

The country, which has been facing a second wave of contamination in recent weeks, has recorded a total of 32,205 cases of coronavirus, including 542 deaths.

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• Madagascar

• Coronavirus