Coronavirus Africa: news summary for 19 June
Coronavirus live Africa: latest Covid-19 news - 19 June
Africa Covid-19 update: 07:00 WAT on Saturday 20 June (08:00 CEST)
According to the latest figures published by Johns Hopkins University, 8,663,270 cases have been detected worldwide, with 460,012 deaths and 4,245,817 people have recovered.
Nigeria: 19,147 cases / 487 deaths
South Africa: 87,715 cases / 1,831 deaths
Ghana: 13,203 cases / 70 deaths
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo talks aid
Pompeo pointed out that some $75 million of the newly allocated funds from the International Disaster Assistance account will be spent on emergency health, water, sanitation, hygiene, protection programs as well as on food assistance.
Coronavirus: Nigeria to start trial of dexamethason
Dexamethason to be trialled in Nigeria
Nigerian health minister Dr. Osagie Ehanire has announced that the country will start the clinical trials of the drug dexamethason, used to treat Covid-19.
Morocco records biggest single-day case rise
Morocco’s Health Ministry reported 539 new coronavirus cases on Friday, the biggest daily rise so far, most of them in a cluster north of Rabat.
There are now 9,613 confirmed cases in Morocco, with a mortality rate of 2.2% and a recovery rate of 84.5%, according to official figures.
The government this month eased some lockdown measures in regions with low infection rates, but kept in place a ban on people leaving their homes without permits in areas with more cases, including some big cities.
The area around the cluster, some 150 km north of the capital, is covered by the permits but lockdowns are harder to enforce in rural and semi-rural areas.
Nigerian test collectors
World Health Organization (WHO) and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) continue to train sample collectors at LGA levels across the country.
Daily stats for SA released
The South African Health Department has issued the Covid-19 figures relating to the past 24 hours with 3,478 new cases identified in the nation.
WHO issues key principals to tackle Covid-19
Find, isolate, test and care... the key pillars outlined by the World Health Organisation in tackling the virus.
Health care workers holding signs protest over the lack of personal protective equipment during the coronavirus disease outbreak, outside a hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, June 19, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings
50-mile tailbacks at East African border crossings
Truck drivers are facing colossal traffic jams at border testing stations as they wait to be inspected for coronavirus symptoms before being allowed to continue their journeys.
Coronavirus: Ghana to impose severe punishments for those not wearing face masks
Ghanaian president Nana Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has signed a law that criminalizes the act of not wearing a face mask that fully covers the mouth and nose in public places. The law states that those who are found guilty will be fined a minimum of 12000 cedis ($2000) or a maximum of 60000 cedis ($1000), or will be sentenced to spend 4-10 years in prison.
A worker wearing a protective face shield looks at his mobile phone while standing on an isle of a grocery store, amid the spread of the coronavirus disease at Mall of the south, in Johannesburg, South Africa. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko
745 new cases in Nigeria
The Nigerian Health Ministry has reported 745 new coronavirus cases in the country, taking the total number to over 18,000
High-altitude life saver
Outside Online take a look at dexamethasone, the steroid found to reduce Covid-19 deaths by a third for patients on ventilators in a study, the Recovery trial, in Oxford, UK.
The drug has long been used in the world of high-altitude mountaineering: “The Recovery study showed no benefit among patients who did not require respiratory assistance, suggesting dex is only effective if someone’s lungs are in severe distress—a similar effect, albeit under different circumstances, to the way it has saved mountaineers in trouble high on a peak. Spanish-speaking guides call dex levanta muertos for the way it “brings life to a dead person,” Argentine Everest guide Damian Benegas once told me.
Not all positive news though: “I actually think, despite all of the attention it’s gotten in the media, it’s too early to comment on whether this is going to have an effect on patient care,” says Andy Luks, a pulmonary and critical-care physician at the University of Washington’s Harborview Medical Center.
Africa cases latest
According to the latest figures, there are over 268,000 reported coronavirus cases on the continent, with 7,232 fatalities linked to Covid-19.
SA cases over 80,000
South Africa reported 3,478 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Thursday, bringing the overall total in the country to over 80,000.
Fans of the English Premier League watch the Man City v Arsenal match, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Abuja, Nigeria. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
Coronavirus: the complete guide to the Covid-19 pandemic
In this guide you’ll find a summary of many of the recommendations and explanations provided by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other public health authorities, along with answers to many of the most frequently asked questions about the coronavirus.
Egypt surpasses 50,000 confirmed coronavirus cases
(Reuters) Egypt said it registered 1,218 new cases of the new coronavirus on Thursday, edging the total number of cases up to more than 50,000 a fortnight before it is set to further ease restrictions.
The Arab world's most populous nation closed itself off in March to curb the spread of the disease, shutting schools, restaurants and halting almost all international flights.
The pandemic shuttered Egypt's vital tourism industry, which the government says accounts for 5% of economic output, but analysts say it may account for as much as 15% if jobs and investment indirectly related to the industry are included.
The country hopes to be able to welcome tourists back for the summer season and has said it plans to reopen its airports to scheduled international flights from 1 July.
The health ministry on Thursday said it registered a total of 50,437 cases of the coronavirus and 1,938 deaths. The country's higher education minister cited a study on 1 June estimating that the actual number of cases could be up to five times higher than the figure reported.
Coronavirus Africa live updates: welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live, Africa-focused coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, which has now registered over 8.4 million cases worldwide.