Coronavirus Africa summary: cases, deaths and news - 29 June
Africa Covid-19 update: 01:55 WAT on Tuesday 30 June (02:55 CEST)
According to the latest figures published by John Hopkins University, 10,268,786 cases have been detected worldwide, with 504,843 deaths and 5,209,345 people recovered.
South Africa: 144,264 cases / 2,529 deaths
Nigeria: 25,133 cases / 573 deaths
Ghana: 17,351 / 112 deaths
Nigerians contend with rising food prices amid Covid-19 pandemic
This piece by the Africa Report looks at how the coronavirus pandemic has affected agriculture in Nigeria and led to soaring food inflation rates. "For many people, the price of food unfairly jumped by 50% from their pre-COVID value," the report notes.
"We are on our knees": Kenya loses over $750m in tourism revenue
Kenya's tourism minister, Najib Balala, says the country has missed out on $752 million in lost tourism revenue because of the coronavirus crisis, Reuters reports.
"The entire tourism sector is out of business. There are major job losses,” Balala said on Monday. "We are on our knees."
The International Monetary Fund has revealed that it expects Kenya's economy to contract for the first time in 27 years in 2020 (see earlier post).
Nigeria to ease curbs on inter-state travel and students
Nigeria will let people travel between its states outside curfew hours from 1 July, a senior official said on Monday as authorities moved to relax some coronavirus restrictions.
Students due to graduate this year will also be able to go back to school to prepare for exams, though other children are still barred from attending, said Boss Mustapha, chair of the presidential taskforce on the infection.
The taskforce is trying to strike a "delicate balance" between protecting people's livelihoods and their health, he added.
Nigeria, Africa's most populous country with around 200 million people, has reported 24,000 cases of the virus and 565 deaths as of Sunday.
Authorities have imposed a 10pm to 4am curfew and ordered people to wear masks in public places to curb the spread of the virus. Gatherings are limited to 20 people.
"We have observed with growing concern the non-compliances with these measures designed to prevent transmission," Mustapha told reporters in the capital, Abuja. "We run the risk of erasing the gains made in the last three months," he said. (Reuters)
Coronavirus level 3 in South Africa: Social visits, casinos and restaurants
Lockdown in South Africa: gathering with friends allowed, but not at home
The regulations for the coronavirus lockdown 3 in South Africa have been published, with restaurants and casinos expected to be re-opened soon.
Full details:
Kenya economy set to contract for first time since 1993
The International Monetary Fund says Kenya's economy is likely to contract for the first time in 27 years, with gross domestic product expected to fall by 0.3% in 2020 as coronavirus containment measures take their toll on the African country.
Algeria borders closed "until Allah sets us free from this pandemic"
Algeria’s president, Abdelamadjid Tebboune, says the country’s borders are to stay closed "until Allah sets us free from this pandemic", the BBC’s Ahmed Rouaba has reported.
Since relaxing restrictions three weeks ago, the North African country has seen a surge in coronavirus infections, reporting a record 305 new cases in the latest 24-hour period.
Algeria has so far registered 13,571 coronavirus cases, leading to 905 deaths.
Africa's middle class challenge
Abdi Latif Dahir points out that it is not only the poorest who are being hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.
South Africa golf star Frittelli tests positive
South African golfer Dylan Frittelli will miss this week's Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club after testing positive for Covid-19, the PGA Tour said.
Frittelli, who missed the cut at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut, is the fourth golfer to test positive since the elite U.S. Tour resumed on June 11.
"I am experiencing no issues and feel great physically and was surprised and disappointed to learn of the positive test," Frittelli said, adding that he would undergo a period of self-isolation.
"I look forward to getting back on Tour once it's safe to do so," he said.
Africans being targeted in Yemen
The Yemeni militiamen rumbled up to the settlement of Al Ghar in the morning, firing their machine guns at the Ethiopian migrants caught in the middle of somebody else’s war. They shouted at the migrants: Take your coronavirus and leave the country, or face death.
SA facing up to economic reality during pandemic
Until last week, South Africa was one of the few emerging market nations that hadn’t borrowed money from an international finance institution at the sovereign level.
Now the government says it’s seeking $7 billion from multilateral lenders and President Cyril Ramaphosa this week unveiled a drive to get private companies to fund as much as $133 billion in infrastructure over the next decade.
Catch up
Here are a selection of the stories that have been making the coronavirus-related news in the last 24 hours:
- African CDC has shown that 48% of the Covid-19 cases recorded in the region has recovered
- Coronavirus vaccine trials have begun in South Africa
- Sudan is extending a lockdown in the state of Khartoum by one week until 7 July
- Hundreds of stranded Ugandans have been flown back from countries such as Afghanistan, South Sudan and Ethiopia
- Lagos, Nigeria's financial capital and largest city, has expanded its capacity to fight the coronavirus pandemic
Africa Covid-19 update: 07:00 WAT on Sunday 28 June (08:00 CEST on Monday 29 June)
According to the latest figures published by John Hopkins University, 10,145,791 cases have been detected worldwide, with 501,893 deaths and 5,140,899 people recovered.
South Africa: 138,134 cases / 2,456 deaths
Nigeria: 24,567 cases / 565 deaths
Ghana: 16,742 / 112 deaths
Online coverage of coronavirus pandemic in Africa
Hello and welcome to our live, Africa-focused coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, which has registered over 10 million cases and over 500,000 deaths worldwide, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
We'll endeavour to keep you up-to-date with the latest developments as they emerge in Africa throughout the day.