The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic was confirmed to have spread to Africa on 14 February 2020. The first confirmed case was in Egypt,[3][4] and the first confirmed case in sub-Saharan Africa was in Nigeria.[5] Most of the identified imported cases have arrived from Europe and the United States rather than from China.[6] Most of the reported cases are from four countries: South Africa, Morocco, Egypt and Algeria, but it is believed that there is widespread under-reporting in other African countries with less developed healthcare systems.[7]
Experts have worried about COVID-19 spreading to Africa, because many of the healthcare systems on the continent are inadequate, having problems such as lack of equipment, lack of funding, insufficient training of healthcare workers, and inefficient data transmission. It was feared that the pandemic could be difficult to keep under control in Africa, and could cause huge economic problems if it spread widely.[8][6] As of April 18, 2020, the supply of ventilators is low in much of Africa: 41 countries have only 2,000 ventilators between them, and ten countries have no ventilators at all. Even basic supplies like soap and water are subject to shortages in parts of the continent.[9]
Matshidiso Moeti of the World Health Organization said that hand washing and physical distancing could be challenging in some places in Africa. Lockdowns may not be possible, and challenges may be exacerbated by the prevalence of diseases such as malaria, HIV, tuberculosis, and cholera.[8] Advisers say that a strategy based on testing could allow African countries to minimise lockdowns that inflict enormous hardship on those who depend on income earned day by day to be able to feed themselves and their families. Even in the best scenario, the United Nations says 74 million test kits and 30,000 ventilators will be needed by the continent's 1.3 billion people in 2020.[10] The World Health Organization helped many countries on the continent set up laboratories for COVID-19 testing.[8] Many preventive measures have been implemented in different countries in Africa, including travel restrictions, flight cancellations, event cancellations,[11] school closures, and border closures.[12] Experts say that experience battling Ebola helped some countries prepare for COVID-19.[8][11]
The first case in the country was confirmed on 25 February. On the morning of 2 March, Algeria confirmed two new cases of the coronavirus, a woman and her daughter.[31]
On 3 March, Algeria reported another two new cases of the coronavirus. The two new cases were from the same family, a father and daughter, and were living in France.[32]
On 4 March, the Ministry of Health recorded 4 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus, all from the same family, bringing the total number to 12 confirmed cases.[33][32]
On 21 March, the first two cases in the country were confirmed. As of 18 April 2020, there was a total of 19 confirmed cases, 2 deaths and 5 recovered cases.[34] Effective 20 March, all Angolan borders have been closed for 15 days.[35]
On 16 March, the first case in the country was confirmed. As of 18 April 2020, there was a total of 35 confirmed cases, 1 death and 18 recovered cases.[36]
On 9 March, the first two cases in the country were reported in Burkina Faso. As of 18 April 2020 there was a total of 557 confirmed cases, 35 deaths and 294 recovered cases.[38]
On 13 March, the third case was also confirmed, a person who had had direct contact with the first two cases.[39]
As of March 14, 2020, a total of 7 cases have been confirmed in the country. 5 of the new confirmed cases had had direct contact with the first two cases. 1 is an English national employed at a gold mine in the country who vacationed in Liverpool and came back on March 10, transiting through Vancouver and Paris .[40]
As a preventative measure, arriving travellers were to be quarantined for 14 days upon arrival. In order to prevent the spread of the virus, the government has cancelled all incoming flights and banned large gatherings.[47] On 15 April 2020, a person arriving in Mayotte from the Comoros tested positive for COVID-19.[48] On 20 April, the rapper Cheikh Mc released a video saying that his wife had been infected by COVID-19. The rapper was arrested by the gendarmerie at 16:00 after the video was shared many times.[49]
On 30 April, the first case was confirmed in the Comoros.[50]
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The MONUSCO Force Intervention Brigade has taken measures to boost hygiene to help slow the spread of the virus.
Egypt's health ministry announced the first case in the country at Cairo International Airport involving a Chinese national on 14 February.[53][54]
On 6 March, the Egyptian Health Ministry and WHO confirmed 12 new cases of coronavirus infection.[55] The infected persons were among the Egyptian staff aboard the Nile cruise ship MS River Anuket, which was travelling from Aswan to Luxor. On 7 March 2020, health authorities announced that 45 people on board had tested positive, and that the ship had been placed in quarantine at a dock in Luxor.[56]
The country's first case was announced on 13 March, a Japanese man who had arrived in the country on 4 March from Burkina Faso.[60] Three additional cases of the virus were reported on March 15. The three individuals had close contact with the person who was reported to be infected by the virus on 13 March . Since then eight more confirmed cases were reported by the health ministry to the public, bringing the total to twelve. Among the infected individuals an elderly Ethiopian in her eighties has been said to have some escalating symptoms while other eight have been on a recovery route and showing less and less symptoms of the disease. On March 27, another statement was issued by the health minister stating that four additional cases have been identified while one case being in the Adama city of the Oromia regional state and the other three being in Addis Ababa. Moreover, three more cases were confirmed by the Health Minister on March 31, 2020. Similarly, the following day other three cases were added. On the previous press release the government authorities had noted that one case was retested and confirmed negative and two of the confirmed cases have been sent to their country (Japan). In aggregate, twenty nine cases are confirmed so far as of 1 April 2020.On April 3, 2020 due to further tests made, six additional cases have been discovered moving up the tally to thirty five. Measures are being taken by the government and the community together strictly to suppress the further spreading of this deadly virus. Among the six cases identified there were individuals with no traveling history recently, that has made it alarming to the public.[2]
On 4 April, three additional cases of the virus were reported. All of the cases were from Addis Ababa. Two of the patients, a 29-year-old and a 34-year-old male Ethiopians, had travel histories to Dubai on different dates. The third case is of a 35-year-old female Ethiopian who had arrived from Sweden on 3 April.[31] On the same date, one additional recovery was reported, increasing the total number of recoveries to 4.[32]
On 5 April, five more positive cases of the virus were reported. Three of them are Ethiopians. The other two are Libyan and Eritrean nationals.[33]. There are 43 total cases as of April 5, 2020.On April 7 more individual detected and totally 54. Among 200+ tests conducted on April 8, 2020, one additional case has been added to the tally making it 55. With current situation indicating the spread of the virus Ethiopia has declared a state of emergency. As of April 17, the total case reported were 92 out of which three patients have died and fifteen have recovered. Ethiopia has tested more than 5,000 citizens since the first case was reported.[citation needed]
The country's first case was announced on 12 March, a 27 year old Gabonese man who returned to Gabon from France, 4 days prior to confirmation of the coronavirus. they are really working on preventing more Corona virus case in the country[64]
Ghana reported its first two cases on 12 March. The two cases were people who came back to the country from Norway and Turkey, with the contact tracing process beginning.[66][67]
On 11 March, the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, made the cedi equivalent of $100 million available to enhance Ghana's coronavirus preparedness and response plan. Five more cases were confirmed as of 17 March. On 19 March, the Health Minister on his Twitter page tweeted that two more cases were confirmed overnight, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to nine (9) as at 9:00GMT. The health minister said the two cases were both imported. In the afternoon, the confirmed cases increased from 9 to 11 after a test of a 58-year-old Ghanaian woman who is a resident of Kumasi had returned from UK some weeks ago, and another patient, a 61-year-old Lebanese and a resident of Kumasi, showed symptoms of the novel coronavirus and was also tested positive. By 20 March, Ghana had recorded 5 new COVID 19 cases, of which 3 showed no travel history, while the other 2 returned from Paris, France and Amsterdam, moving the total of confirmed cases to 16.[citation needed]
On 12 March 2020, the first case was confirmed in Kenya by President Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta.[71]
On 13 March, the first case in Kenya was confirmed, a woman who came from the US via London.[72]
On 15 March 2020, further restrictions were ordered, including closing of schools, banning of all social gatherings including religious gatherings, and banning of aAll flights banned effective 25 March.[citation needed]
On 17 March, in order to prevent the spread of the virus, the UN-recognised Government of National Accord closed the country's borders, suspended flights for three weeks and banned foreign nationals from entering the country; schools, cafes, mosques and public gatherings have also been closed.[75]
On 24 March, the first case in Libya was confirmed.[76]
On 13 March, the first case in the country was confirmed.[80]
By 18 April 2020, there had been 7 confirmed cases in the country, 6 of whom recovered, and one died making Mauritania at the time the only affected country in Africa and in the world to become free of COVID-19.[81]
A further case was confirmed on the 29th of April.[82]
On 14 March, the first two cases in the country were confirmed.[86] In a first reaction by government air travel to and from Qatar, Ethiopia and Germany was suspended for 30 days. All public and private schools are also closed for a month, and gatherings are restricted to fewer than 50 people. This includes celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Namibian independence that takes place on 21 March.[87] Libraries, museums, and art galleries were also closed.[88]
By 25 March 2020 the total number of cases reached seven, of which one is thought to be a local transmission. A 21-day lockdown of the regions of Erongo and Khomas was announced for 27 March with inter-regional travel forbidden, excluding the commuter towns of Okahandja and Rehoboth. Parliament sessions were suspended for the same period, and bars and markets were closed.[90] On 14 April this lockdown was extended for another 2 weeks ending 4 May, now encompassing all regions, although the stay-at-home order was already enforced countrywide.[91]
After 5 April 2020, when 16 cases were identified, no new infections occurred until the end of April. Government subsequently eased the restrictions as from 5 May.[92]
On 27 February, Nigeria confirmed its first case, the first case of coronavirus in sub-Saharan Africa.[94][95] An Italian citizen who works in Nigeria had returned on 25 February from Milan, Italy through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, fell ill on 26 February and was transferred to Lagos State Biosecurity Facilities for isolation and testing.[96][97][98] The test was confirmed positive by the Virology Laboratory of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, part of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.[99] He was transferred to the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, Lagos.[98] On 28 February, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health announced that the Italian man had travelled on Turkish Airlines with a brief transit at Istanbul.[100] As of 6 March, a total of 219 primary and secondary contacts of the index case had been identified and were being actively monitored.[101]
Lock-down measures
The Federal government of Nigeria has instructed institutions to shut down for 30 days as a lockdown measure to limit the spread of COVID-19. It has also banned public gatherings. The state government of Lagos has asked schools to close and banned public gatherings of more than 50 people, particularly religious gatherings[102][103] There was no order from government to shutdown markets and club halls.[citation needed]
Several schools in Nigeria have shut down, following the directives of the federal government at Abuja. This led the Management of one of the most populated schools in Nigeria, the Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri to declare an emergency holidays a precaution against COVID-19, stating that the emergency holiday will last for 30 days. The institution had already fixed the dates for the 2019/2020 academic year examinations.[104]
There is widespread tension and anxiety in cities across Nigeria as students return to their various homes for fear of contracting COVID-19.[citation needed]
High profiled persons with COVID-19
Reports have shown that some high profiled individuals in Nigeria have tested positive for coronavirus. The Nigeria's high profiled persons that have tested positive for COVID-19 are: Buhari's chief of staff, Abba Kyari,[105][106] Bauchi State governor, Bala Muhammed.[107]
As Muhammadu Buhari's closest staff, Nigerians suspected that the president would have the virus as his chief of staff tested positive. Meanwhile, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reported that president Buhari tested negative after the test was carried out on him.[108]
In Nigeria, there are fears everywhere that the chief of staff, Abba Kyari who has tested positive for the coronavirus may have transmitted it to more people including governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi, minister of information, Lai Mohammed, special assistant to the president on media, Garba Shehu; minister of special duties, George Akume; minister of state for FCT, Ramatu Tijani; Geoffrey Onyeama, and other dignitaries and visitors at the prayers held on March 17, 2020, for the deceased mother of the Kogi State governor.[106]
The governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello was tested positive for coronavirus. Others from the list who met with Abba Kyari are still under examination to be ascertained if they are negative or positive to the virus.[109]
On 14 March, the first case in the country was confirmed.[110]
In an interview with the Financial Times on 20 April, President Paul Kagame said he believes it will cost $100 billion (₤80 billion) and an entire generation for Africa to recuperate from the pandemic.[111]
On 16 March, the government banned public officials from travelling abroad, and urged citizens to avoid foreign travel.[115][116] Quarantine measures are in place for all visitors arriving from countries with more than 50 cases.[115] Public gatherings of more than 100 people have also been banned.[115] On 24 March, President Julius Maada Bio announced a year-long 'state of emergency' in order to deal with a potential outbreak.[117]
The president of Sierra Leone confirmed the country's first case of coronavirus on 31 March, a person who traveled from France on 16 March and had been in isolation since.[118]
On 5 March the first confirmed case was announced, returning from Italy[124] On 15 March 2020, South Africa declared a national state of disaster[74] On 23 March 2020, President Cyril Ramaphosa issued a national lockdown lasting 21 days from 26 March 2020,[125] later extended to 30 April.[126]As of 28April2020[update], there were 4996 confirmed cases and 93 confirmed deaths, from 185497 tests.[127]
The country's first case was announced on 13 March, a man who had died in Khartoum the previous day. He had visited the United Arab Emirates in the first week of March.[129]
Zambia reported its first 2 cases of COVID-19 on 18 March. The patients were a couple that had travelled to France on holiday.[135] A third case was recorded on 22 March. The patient was a man who had travelled to Pakistan.[136]
On March 25, President Edgar Lungu confirmed a total of 12 cases during a live national address. He also announced measures which includes suspension of international flights Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe, Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula and Mfuwe International Airports and re-routing of all international flights to Kenneth Kaunda International Airport to facilitate screening of incoming passengers and mandatory quarantine where necessary, closure of all bars, nightclubs, casinos, cinemas and gyms and restriction of all public gatherings to 50 people or less.[137]
As of 17 March, the government has shut all educational institutions and put in place some restrictions on foreign travel.[138]
Before there were any confirmed cases in the country, President Emmerson Mnangagwa had declared a national emergency, putting in place travel restrictions and banning large gatherings.[139][140] The country's defence minister Oppah Muchinguri caused controversy by stating the coronavirus could be a divine punishment on Western nations for imposing sanctions on Zimbabwe.[141]
Its first case was reported on 21 March: it was a male resident of Victoria Falls who travelled from the United Kingdom via South Africa on 15 March.[142] As of 27 March there are 7 confirmed cases in Zimbabwe and 1 death.[citation needed]
Suspected cases
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
On 16 March three people who arrived by air to Ascension Island showed symptoms of COVID-19.[143] However, on 23 March it was announced that they had tested negative on 22 March [144]
On 17 March all travel by air to the Saint Helena island was banned, except for island citizens or residents and similar cases.[145] There were no known cases on Saint Helena at this time.[146]
As of 26 April there have been no reported cases in Lesotho, but the country doesn't have the ability to test for the virus.[148] In order to prevent the spread of the virus the government has closed its border with South Africa.[149] On 18 March, the government declared a national emergency despite having no confirmed cases, and closed schools until 17 April (but allowed school meals to continue). Arriving travellers were to be quarantined for 14 days upon arrival.[148] Prime Minister Thomas Thabane announced a three-week lock down, commencing from midnight 29 March.[150] As of 15 April 2020, Lesotho was sending its samples to South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases for testing, and it was expected to take about three days to get results.[151]
↑ Exclude three patients who left Mauritius on 13 April 2020.
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