Coronavirus infections, wake-up call for gov’ts across Africa — WHO

Africa
Johannesburg, March 9, 2020 (dpa/NAN) South Africa, on Monday confirmed four new cases of Covid-19, bringing the country’s total infections to seven.

South African Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, who is part of an inter-ministerial committee dealing with the virus, announced that all seven confirmed cases are from a group who travelled to Italy together on holiday.

This brings the number of confirmed cases in Africa to no less than 95, with Egypt registering its first death on Sunday and the World Health Organisation (WHO) saying these cases should be a wake-up call for governments across Africa.

“Governments must do all they can to prepare for an eventual outbreak, time is critical,’’ said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO’s Regional Director for Africa.

Covid-19, a respiratory disease spread by the coronavirus, has already infected over 105,000 people worldwide, mostly in China, the epicentre of the outbreak that has now touched over 100 countries and territories.

More than 3,500 people have died, one in Africa.

Mkhize called for calm and tried to reassure the nation that there was no need for “panic buying’’ or “stock-piling’’ of household goods such as toilet paper, disinfectants, sanitisers or foodstuffs at this stage.

Ugandan officials said they turned away 22 delegates to a European Union-Ugandan conference, after they shunned that country’s enforced self-isolation measures.

“The delegates were from the seven countries we flagged as high risk for coronavirus,’’ government spokesman Emmanuel Ainebyoona told dpa.

Ainebyoona said they had opted to return home.

Uganda adopted the policy of a 14-day self-quarantine immediately after the outbreak of coronavirus was announced by China.

Zimbabwe, meanwhile, has decided that travellers from affected countries would not be allowed into the southern African country unless they have a medical certificate showing that they have tested negative for the disease.

Also, Nigeria confirmed its second case on Sunday.

By Monday, nine African countries had confirmed cases of Covid-19.

Experts have raised concerns over low-income countries’ ability to contain the virus.

In an editorial, medical journal Lancet warned that while countries like Nigeria are able to contain a handful of cases, “large outbreaks could easily overwhelm low-income or middle-income health services.”

ACO/YEE

=======

Edited by Abiodun Oluleye/Emmanuel Yashim