Coronavirus Africa summary: cases, deaths and news - 4 July
Coronavirus live: Africa latest news - 4 July 2020
Africa Covid-19 update: 02:00 WAT on Sunday 5 July (03:00 CEST)
According to the latest figures published by John Hopkins University, 11,199,698 cases have been detected worldwide, with 528,953 deaths and 6,037,614 people recovered.
South Africa: 187,977 cases / 3,026 deaths
Nigeria: 28,167 cases / 634 deaths
Ghana: 19,388 / 117 deaths
Ghana's president self-isolates after close person tests positive for coronavirus
Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo will self-isolate for 14 days on the advice of doctors after a person in his close circle tested positive for coronavirus, the government said in a statement late on Saturday.
"He has, as at today, tested negative, but has elected to take this measure out of the abundance of caution," the statement said, adding that the president will continue to work during the period, in compliance with Covid-19 safety protocols.
The statement did not say if the close person was a staff or family member. Ghana has recorded 19,388 coronavirus cases, one of the highest number of cases in sub-Saharan Africa, with 117 deaths. The West African nation's deputy trade and industry minister Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah resigned on Friday for violating coronavirus self-isolation measures after he tested positive for the virus.
Casinos back open for business in SA
A woman gambles at the Montecasino complex in Johannesburg on Friday. The Italian-themed leisure and casino complex has reopened its doors as South Africa has allowed casinos, cinemas and restaurants to resume their activity despite a rise in coronavirus infections.
(Photo: Michele Spatari / AFP)
"Malawi, we have a situation"
Malawi’s new president, Lazarus Chakwera, has told an address to the nation that they "have a situation" amid rising coronavirus figures, with Reuters reporting that cases have more than doubled in the past fortnight.
According to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University, Malawi had registered 1,498 coronavirus cases as of Saturday evening WAT, leading to 16 deaths.
"Even though over 1,400 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the last three months, almost half of them have gotten it in the last three weeks," Chakwera said on Saturday.
He added: "It is a fact that even though 16 people have died from Covid-19 in the last three months, 75% of them have died in the last three weeks."
South African woman holds funeral for wrong man after mortuary error
A South African widow has had to hold two funerals in four days following the death of her husband from Covid-19, after a mortuary mix-up meant she buried the wrong man.
"They refused to allow me to view my husband's body at the hospital mortuary due to Covid-19 regulations,” she told News24. “Now I buried the wrong person."
Coronavirus data tips and the tools to analyse
Organised crime is changing its trafficking routes, under the cover of Covid-19. Timber smugglers in the Amazon are boosting their trade in the absence of supervision. Unemployment and alcohol dependency rates are jumping, and climate change continues unabated. GIJN investigaets
Kenya population exposure
Scientists estimate that 2.7 million Kenyans could have been exposed to the novel coronavirus, many of them much earlier than when the first positive case was reported in the country.
Ghanaian minister resigns after breaching self-isolation rules
Ghanaian minister resigns after breaching self-isolation rules
Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah himself forced to resign after he violated self-isolation protocol.
Ugandan dies after setting fire to himself over motorcycle impounded over COVID-19 violations
A Ugandan man has died after setting fire to himself in a police station when officers allegedly demanded a bribe to release his motorcycle, which he was using as a taxi and which had been impounded over violation of coronavirus restrictions.
The case has provoked anger among Ugandans who say it reflects widespread abuse by security personnel, including beatings, detentions and extortion that in the current climate are often disguised as enforcement of coronavirus regulations.
The rider, Hussein Walugembe, had recently acquired his motorcycle and it was being driven by a colleague when it was impounded on Tuesday for violating a dusk-to-dawn curfew, regional police spokesman Nsubuga Mohammed said.
On Thursday, Walugembe came to the police station in the town of Masaka to claim the bike but was frustrated by some police officers who demanded he pay a bribe, Mohammed said.
After his pleas to the police officer responsible for traffic violations to release his bike were rejected, he doused himself with gasoline, which he concealed in a container in his jacket, and set himself on fire.
"He attempted to grab the officer, for them to die together, but he escaped with minor burns, leaving the victim behind," the national police headquarters said in a statement.
Over 600 Ugandans return home
Last week, government started the process that will see it return over 2300 Ugandans stranded abroad over the current Coronavirus pandemic that saw several airports and borders closed as a measure to combat the spread of the virus.
What is remdesivir and how does the drug treat coronavirus?
What is remdesivir and how does the drug treat coronavirus?
Remdesivir is an experimental antiviral drug first created and developed by the biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences in 2009. It was originally created to treat hepatitis C but proved ineffective.
Nigeria: FAAN Aviation authorities release new regulations for post-Covid-19 flights
FAAN Aviation authorities release new regulations for post-Covid-19 flights
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has announced the new safety guidelines to be followed by airport personnel and air travellers
Nigerian air fares expected to increase
All airlines have increased their fares in a bid to abide by the social distancing protocol for all air travellers
Senegal cases up to 7,614
A further 110 positive coronavirus cases have been reported in the West African nation in a period relating to the past 24 hours.
South Africa's boozy church struggles with COVID lockdown rules
When South Africa began easing its coronavirus lockdown in May, it allowed religious worshippers to gather in groups of up to 50, but maintained a ban on people assembling to drink alcohol.
That's a problem for the "Gabola" church -- the name means 'drinking' in the local Tswana language -- for whom a tipple is an integral part of their religious worship.
Founded just two years ago, the church tried to hold its usual meetings in local bars, called shebeens, to praise God while downing whisky, but they soon got arrested, its leader and self-styled 'pope' Tsietsi Makiti, 55, told Reuters.
"They can arrest us until Jesus comes back," said Makiti, wearing a bishop's mitre with a miniature bottle of spirits hanging off it. But he added they had been moving services from place to place to avoid a run-in with the authorities.
Coronavirus: the complete guide to the Covid-19 pandemic
Coronavirus: the complete guide to the Covid-19 pandemic
Global coronavirus cases rise to more than 11 million
Global coronavirus cases have exceeded 11 million on Saturday, marking another milestone in the spread of the disease that has killed more than half a million people in seven months.
The number of cases is more than double the figure for severe influenza illnesses recorded annually, according to the World Health Organization.
Many hard-hit countries are easing lockdowns put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus while making extensive alterations to work and social life that could last for a year or more until a vaccine is available.
Coronavirus live Africa updates: welcome
Hello and welcome to our live, Africa-focused coverage of the coronavirus crisis, which has already registered more than 11 million cases and over 525,000 deaths worldwide, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University.