Coronavirus live updates: Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Ghana... cases, deaths and news
South Africa: live updates - 14/07
Africa Covid-19 update: 02:00 WAT on Wednesday 15 July (03:00 CEST)
According to the latest figures published by Johns Hopkins University,13,271,756 cases have been detected worldwide, with 576,980 deaths and 7,367,106 people recovered.
South Africa: 298,292 cases / 4,346 deaths
Nigeria: 33,153 cases / 744 deaths
Ghana: 24,988 / 139 deaths
Medical staff strikes on the rise in Africa
From Sierra Leone to Ivory Coast to Kenya, medical staff are demanding better protection and working conditions to combat the coronavirus crisis.
South Africa passes UK positive case numbers
South Africa reported over 10,000 new cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday, taking the country's overall tally to 298,292 and supassing the UK.
South Africa vaccine trial
Professor Francois Venter (L) receives an experimental vaccine for Covid-19 coronavirus at the Respiratory & Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit (RMPRU) at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto. Six senior clinicians in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Wits University have volunteered to participate in South Africa's first Covid-19 vaccine trial. (Photo by Luca Sola / AFP)
Nigerian football season called off due to Covid-19 pandemic
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) decided to terminate the current football season as a result of Covid-19 pandemic outbreak.
Africa’s Covid-19 cases edge past 600,000
The World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for Africa in Brazzaville, Congo, says there are currently over 609,000 confirmed cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Africa.
The regional office stated that South Africa had 287,796 cases and 4,172 deaths, followed by Nigeria with 33,153 confirmed cases and 744 deaths, while Ghana had 24,988 confirmed cases and 139 deaths.
It added that Gambia, Seychelles and Eritrea were countries currently with the lowest confirmed cases in the region.
Coronavirus does NOT only affect wealthy people
BBC News Africa has launched a searchable library of fact-checks debunking popular myths and misinformation about coronavirus in Africa.
Coronavirus is a respiratory disease and is mainly transmitted through droplets from an infected person.
These can enter the lungs of anyone, regardless of social class, age or wealth.
Coronavirus: more than 200 Ghanaian doctors infected
More than 200 Ghanaian doctors infected
Read more here:
Saudi Arabia sees decrease in Covid-19 infections
Saudi Arabian officials said on Tuesday the kingdom has seen a decrease in the number of new coronavirus cases over the past seven days. The kingdom recorded 2,692 new infections on Tuesday, the fourth day in a row the numbers have stayed below 3,000.
Saudi Arabia has recorded a total of 237,803 cases with 2,283 deaths. The number of new daily infections had reached their highest point of 4,919 on June 16, but those numbers have been steadily declining since early July, falling below 3,000 for the first time on July 10.
"We've noticed a decrease in the number of cases, and in particular the number of critical cases," Health Ministry spokesman Mohammed Abdelali told a news conference. "We've noticed a stabilisation of the numbers of cases we're monitoring and a decline in the curve."
Nigeria's NNPC fired 850 workers, many from refineries, oil union says
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has fired 850 workers, many of them from refineries, amidst the coronavirus pandemic, an oil union said on Tuesday. The workers are both skilled and unskilled contractors, including technicians who helped maintain Nigeria's oil refineries, said Lumumba Okugbawa, general secretary of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
The NNPC did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Layoffs in Nigeria's oil sector are a tense issue, with frequent stand-offs between the NNPC and unions. Nigeria is dependent on crude sales to prop up its struggling economy, now at risk of its worst recession in four decades due to the coronavirus and the pandemic tanking global oil prices. Yet Nigeria's refineries are barely operational.
Almost all of the country's fuel supply is processed overseas at great cost, despite Nigeria being Africa's largest crude producer. In May, the NNPC said it had more than 6,600 staff.
South African Airways creditors approve restructuring plan
Creditors of South African Airways (SAA) approved a restructuring plan for the loss-making airline on Tuesday, one of SAA's administrators told a creditor meeting. Administrator Siviwe Dongwana told the meeting that the plan had been approved by 86% of voting interests.
Covid-19 cases at Accra Girls School
Fifty-five persons at the Accra Girls’ Senior High School including students and members of staff have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
According to a joint statement issued by Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the Ghana Educations Service (GES), this was revealed after ‘containment measures’ were put in place following the confirmation of the school’s first case on July 6, 2020.
The figure was determined after 314 persons in the institution were tested for the virus as 259 returned negative.
Doctors' strike shows lack of empathy, says Lagos government
The Lagos State Government has urged doctors linked to the Lagos Medical Guild who embarked on a warning strike to return to their duty posts saying their action is insensitive.
The medical guild on Monday commenced a warning strike on issues bordering on safety of workers, non-payment of allowances, unceremonious disengagement of doctors, among others.
But reacting to the strike action, the Lagos State Government expressed disappointment that the guild proceeded with the strike “despite several discussions with the government.”
Okowa family recover from Covid-19
Delta State governor Ifeanyi Okowa, his wife, Edith and daughter have recovered from Covid-19, he announced on Twitter this morning.
3,600 rape cases recorded during lockdown in Nigeria
The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Senator Pauline Tallen, has condemned the upsurge in rape cases in Nigeria. She stated that no fewer than 3,600 cases of rape were recorded during the lockdown.
Tallen said, “Reports that we received from commissioners of women affairs across the 36 states of the federation revealed that each state recorded at least 100 rape cases during the Covid-19 induced lockdown.”
Nigeria reduces reporting time at airports for domestic flights
Passengers' arrival time at the airport before domestic flights in Nigeria has been reduced from 3 hours to 90 minutes.
Across Africa, doctors are pushing back against the risks they’re being asked to shoulder in the pandemic. In Sierra Leone, physicians are refusing to treat coronavirus patients until the government provides them with promised “hazard pay.”
Members of the South African military look on as a police officer searches a man during a patrol as a nighttime curfew is reimposed amid a nationwide coronavirus disease (COVID-19) lockdown, in Johannesburg, South Africa July 13, 2020. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko
South Africa coronavirus curfew: what are the restrictions?
A summary of what the curfew means for South Africans.
South Africa to remain at lockdown level 3 but curfew put in place from Monday
Just to catch you up on what is happening in South Africa, which has been hit particularly hard by the virus. They have moved into stage 3 lockdown. That includes a curfew. President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation to discuss the surge in cases on Sunday night. The new measures, including a ban on the sale of alcohol along with the curfew have been put in place.
Coronavirus live Africa updates: welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live, Africa-focused coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, which has now registered over 13 million cases and 570,000 deaths worldwide, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University