Coronavirus summary Africa: cases, deaths and news - 9 May
Africa Covid-19 update: 02:00 WAT Sunday 10 May (03:00 CEST)
According to the latest figures published by Johns Hopkins University, 4,023,218 cases have been detected worldwide, with 279,303 deaths and 1,370,375 people now recovered.
Nigeria: 3,151 cases / 128 deaths
South Africa: 9,420 cases / 186 deaths
Ghana: 4,263 cases / 22 deaths
Kenya: 649 cases / 30 deaths
Orlando Pirates' Motshwari's positive test
Kaizer Chiefs legend Rudolph Seale says that Motshwari's positive Covid-19 test affects every team and highlights the seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic. “I felt sorry for this boy, Ben, to get this virus. That brings some delay in the PSL, they now have to consider if it’s safe to resume the games now or later,” Seale told Goal.
Mask up!
Also from Ghana, this message. Our advice: stay at home, if you don't or can't, wear a mask!
Lyon 'announce' Champions League return for 7 August
Jean-Michel Aulas, the president of Lyon, has leaked the supposed date for a return to European football competition, saying "Our game against Juventus is confirmed for 7 August, in Turin, behind closed doors. If the appeals are not successful Lyon and PSG run the risk of being massacred by teams that have had preparation other teams have not."
The French league has been wrapped up, meaning the French teams will have no competitive football before the Champions League games, while in principle the other major leagues in Europe are planning to finish their 19/20 seasons.
"Finally, a virus got me"
This interview with virologist Peter Piot is a must-read. He's the director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, one of the discoverers of the Ebola virus an has spent his life fighting infections diseases, including HIV. He fell ill with the coronavirus in mid-March and nearly died from it. He talks about how own infection and what we need to do to beat Covid-19.
One quote: "Without a coronavirus vaccine, we will never be able to live normally again".
Zero cases claim in Kogi, Cross River to be probed
Nigeria's Minister of Health Dr Osagie Ehanire has promised to investigate claims by Kogi and Cross River states that they have no confirmed cases of Covid-19, Punch reports. “Kogi State is one of the two states that have said that they do not have COVID-19 patients. They seem to be sure of this. So, the agreement we have had with them after discussion with the governor is that we shall send a team in just to validate that fact and engage the authorities," Ehanire told reporters.
Ghana's dancing pallbearers
If you're going to leave this world for the next one, better to go out singing - and dancing, says Benjamin Aidoo
Three health workers and four patients test positive in Ogun
Three health workers, a doctor and two nurses, together with four patients at the Federal Medical Centre in Abeokuta have tested positive for Covid-19, the Daily Post reports. It is believed that the health workers may have had contact with a pregnant woman, who died of Covid-19-related illness at the Ogun FMC last week.
Ten tests were sent for analysis from Ogun FMC, seven of which returned positive.
South African companies criticised for not passing on emergency benefits to workers
South Africa's Minister for Employment and Labour Thulas Nxesi has denounced employers who have received Unemployment Insurance Fund Covid-19 Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme benefits from the UIF but are not passing on the money to workers.
The UIF has distributed close to 11 billion rand in relief benefits, destined to help 1,924,060 employees through 156,831 employers.
"I want to categorically state that this is inhumane and employers who are withholding funds meant for workers must immediately release payments. We are in the midst of a global pandemic that has brought economies of countries to their knees. Workers are the worst affected by this inevitable eventuality. The worst thing you can do as an employer is to withhold funds meant for workers" , Minister Nxesi said.
Protests in Nairobi after homes and shops are demolished
Hundreds of protesters took to the streets in Kariobangi, one of Nairobi’s poorest neighbourhoods on Friday, to voice their anger after homes and shops, that had allegedly been built on government land, were demolished.
Nigerian nationals evacuated from UK arrive in Lagos
Around 250 Nigerian nationals evacuated from the United Kingdom by the Federal Government arrived at Lagos' Murtala Muhammed International Airport on Sunday.
The evacuees, who returned home on a British Airways flight, formed part of the second group of Nigeria's to be repatriated from the UK as part of an operation to return 4,000 stranded expatriates.
Bundesliga matches to be broadcast in Ghana
The Bundesliga is set to resume on 16 May and matches will be broadcast live and exclusively in Ghana by StarTimes. All matches will be broadcast on StarTimes’ five sport channels, live and in HD, and on the streaming mobile application StarTimes ON.
Kenya bans imports of second hand clothes
Kenya will lift the ban on imports of second-hand clothes once the COVID19 Pandemic is over. Uganda on the other rescinded a decision to suspend importation of 2nd hand clothes & shoes in April. Many African nations populations rely on the cheap 2nd hand clothes & shoes imports
Repatriated Nigerians to have passports confiscated for three weeks
Nigerian nationals who return to the country will have their passports confiscated on arrival and withheld for seven days, Punch reports. Returnees will face a 14-day quarantine, during which they will be tested for coronavirus. If the test returns positive, they will be transferred to an isolation/treatment facility.
Ogun lockdown extended by one week
Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun announced a second lockdown extension in the state on Friday, saying that the measure has been enforced to save lives. Under the previous arrangement, lockdown restrictions were due to be lifted tomorrow.
Coronavirus Africa live updates: welcome
Hello and welcome our Africa-focused live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, which has now registered almost 4 million cases worldwide.
We'll bring you the latest developments and statistics as they emerge throughout the course of today all across the continent and beyond.