Coronavirus Africa summary: Covid-19 news, Saturday 16 May
Coronavirus live Africa updates: cases, deaths and news - 16 May
Africa Covid-19 update: 07:15 WAT on Sunday 17 May (08:15 CEST)
According to the latest figures published by Johns Hopkins University, 4,635,830 cases have been detected worldwide, with 311,824 deaths and 1,693,715 people now recovered.
Nigeria: 5,621 cases / 176 deaths
South Africa: 14,355 cases / 261 deaths
Ghana: 5,735 cases / 29 deaths
Uganda: 227 cases / 0 deaths (no data currently available)
Covid-19 masks
This photo was taken at a fabric shop in Cape Town, South Africa. We never had any doubt a lot of the funkiest masks out there would be found in Africa.
The importance of water
Two-fold problem - lack of water makes the pandemic worse, the pandemic makes the water supply worse.
Morocco hopes to boost domestic tourism to save key sector
Morocco's government and tourism industry hope to encourage more Moroccans to explore the ancient souks of Marrakech and the beaches of Agadir this year, to make up for the collapse in foreign visitors due to the global pandemic.
A TV advertising campaign, launched by the government, reminds citizens of the country's many attractions with the slogan "until we meet."
Tourism represents 7% of Moroccan economic activity, employing more than half a million people and generating $8 billion in foreign currency inflows last year, when 13 million foreigners flew into the North African kingdom.
"We know foreign tourists are not coming this summer," said Tourism Minister Nadia Fettah Alaoui, adding encouraging domestic tourism was the starting point for reopening the sector.
Impoverished Burundi, battered by violence and coronavirus, gears up for election
Burundi holds its first competitive presidential election next week since a civil war erupted in 1993, but simmering political violence and fears that campaign rallies could accelerate the spread of the coronavirus have already marred campaigning.
President Pierre Nkurunziza, who has faced accusations of political repression at home and abroad, is stepping down after 15 years in office, although the former rebel leader is set to remain a prominent force in the poor East African nation.
He has nominated retired army general Evariste Ndayishimiye as candidate for the ruling CNDD-FDD party, which staged a final rally on Saturday with thousands of people dancing to music, chanting slogans of support and waving flags.
Zimbabwe to ease coronavirus curbs, but lockdown to remain for now
Zimbabwe will keep its coronavirus lockdown for the time being, though businesses will be allowed to open for longer and the restrictions will be reviewed every two weeks, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Saturday.
The southern African nation, which has reported 42 cases and four deaths from the novel coronavirus, went into lockdown on March 30 and has been gradually easing the measures to help revive its troubled economy.
Economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak will exacerbate climate-induced shocks and monetary woes afflicting an economy battling shortages of foreign exchange, food electricity and medicines.
Bundesliga returns
Top flight football returned in Germany with the Bundesliga the first of the European leagues to return to action with all games being staged behind closed doors which through up some unusual images.
Kenya closes borders to Tanzania and Somalia over coronavirus
(Reuters) Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta on Saturday banned movement across the country's borders with Tanzania and Somalia to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.
He exempted cargo trucks but said drivers would have to be tested for COVID-19.
"There will be a cessation of movement of persons and any passenger-ferrying automobiles and vehicles into and out of the territory of Kenya through the Kenya-Tanzania international border," Kenyatta said in a televised address.
The same measures would apply on the border with Somalia, he said.
Kenyatta also extended by 21 days an existing dusk-to-dawn curfew and a ban on movement in and out of areas of Kenya worst hit by the coronavirus outbreak.
Highest daily for SA
South Africa on Friday recorded 785 confirmed cases of Covid-19. It was the highest number in the 24-hour cycle since the country reported its first case in early March.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said the total number of the confirmed Covid-19 cases has risen to 13,524.
Protesters under attack
Rights groups in Zimbabwe have accused government security forces of abducting and torturing three female supporters of the opposition who were taking part in a protest.
The three women were allegedly abducted Wednesday after taking part in a protest demanding that the government pay those affected by the coronavirus lockdown.
Fake plant news
Did you see that article about ewedu, bush okra and jute doing the rounds on social media? Ignore it!
Lowered growth projection in Tanzania
Tanzania's economy is expected to expand by 4 percent in 2020, less than an earlier projection of 6.9% due to the impact of the coronavirus, the finance minister said.
The outbreak has had a particularly big impact on the country's tourism industry, a major source of revenues and employment.
The minister, Philip Mpango, told parliament on Friday the government had revised its growth projection downwards "due to the impact of the coronavirus on the different sectors," without going into further details.
Tanzania, which has not imposed a widespread lockdown, has reported 544 infections and 21 related deaths as of Saturday.
Swab training
Doctors Without Borders nurse Bhelekazi Mdlalose illustrates how to perform a swab test on a nurse participating in a coronavirus training course for nurses at the City of Joburg Civic Centre in Roodeport, Johannesburg.
Mdlalose left her family and usual job in the mountain town of Rustenberg in March 2020 to support community work in Johannesburg. (Photo by Michele Spatari / AFP)
Charlize tackles gender abuse
In many countries around the world there has been an increase in violence against women during the lockdown. This Hollywood star is taking action.
Flood adds to pandemic challenge
The devastation has been far-reaching, including mass displacement of communities in Uganda, with schools, roads, and bridges washed away and tens of thousands of people displaced. Water levels in Lake Victoria are the highest recorded since 1964.
Wuhan worries
As Wuhan, the Chinese city where the Covid-19 pandemic began, revs up a massive testing campaign, some residents crowding the test centres expressed concern on Saturday that the very act of getting tested could expose them to the coronavirus.
A look back...
It was a usual busy day on coronavirus news yesterday. Here's how we kept you informed in our live blog for Friday 15 May.
Coronavirus live Africa: welcome
Hello and welcome to our live, Africa-focused coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, which has now registered over 4.5 million cases worldwide.
We'll be looking to bring you the latest news and numbers as they emerge throughout the course of the day.