Coronavirus Africa news summary for Tuesday 11 August

NFF to share $2million Covid-19 relief among clubs

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed it would disburse $2million to clubs and leagues in the country, to cushion the financial effects of COVID-19.

“After consultations with the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Board endorsed the proposal from the secretariat for the lump sum of $2 million only to be shared across the various football clubs and governing bodies of the various Leagues,” a statement on Tuesday read.

The relief fund is made up of $1million from FIFA’s support for restarting the football season, $500,0000 from the world football governing body’s grant for women’s football, $300,000 of CAF support to member associations and $200,000 from sponsors of the Nigerian FA.

Angola to keep borders closed

Angola announced that its borders will remain closed in the fight to prevent coronavirus transmission in the country. Only Angolan nationals and foreign residents can return to the national territory, while foreign citizens may exit to return to their respective countries of origin. Official trips are also permitted. 

The measure, which became effective on 10 August and will run until 8 September, allows the entry and exit of cargo, goods, humanitarian aid and medical emergencies. 

Covid-19 cases rise in South Africa

Confirmed cases of Covid-19 in South Africa rose by just over 2,500 on Tuesday. The total number of positive cases stands at 566,109 - up 2,511 on Monday with the death toll now at 10,751. The biggest spike was in Gauteng where new cases surged by 34.2%.

One man and his smartphone rescues stranded Africans 

CNN unearthed one of the more remarkable stories of the coronavirus pandemic. Tertius Myburgh, a South African commercial pilot who lives in New Brunswick, Canada single-handedly orchestrated the repatriation of close to 100 South Africans and a couple of dozen Zimbabwean students who were stranded in China.

As the number of paying passengers who needed repatriation became clear, Myburgh used his Southern African links to lease a Boeing 767, plus its pilots and its crew, from Air Zimbabwe. Flights were all booked by mobile phone texts or WhatsApp and Myburgh drew up a passenger list. 

The plane and crew began their journey from Zimbabwe in mid-July, picking most of the South Africans in Wuhan, before heading back to Johannesburg.

Coronavirus - Kenya: Covid-19 update

Kenya reported 497 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday and 15 deaths from the virus. In total, the country has now registered 27, 425 confirmed cases, 438 people have died due to the virus while 13,867 have recovered.

Zambia faces being overwhelmed by Coronavirus, as citizens fail to follow regulations

Zambia's public health agency says the nation faces a huge surge in coronavirus cases because its citizens are not paying heed to government regulations. 

“The fight is still on. It is not just government fight. It requires the other side to respond as well,” Dr. Victor Mukonka, Director of the Zambia National Public Health Institute told journalists. 

Gambia reports 111 new cases

Gambia has now surpassed 1,000 cases of coronavirus. After reporting 111 cases in the past 24-hour period, Gambia's total caseload has reached 1,087, while there have been 32 deaths. 

Isolation hospitals to reopen in Egypt

Egypt will re-open its isolation hospitlas this week as the nation prepares to face a second wave of the coronavirus epidemic, which has so far infected more than 560,000 people in the country and killed close to 11,000.

Nigeria receives 200 ventilators from the US

Nigeria has begun the handover ceremony for 200 ventilators donated by the US government and had been promised by Donald Trump. Trump had promised to send the ventalitors after a conversation with President Muhammadu Buhari in April.

Nigeria's Information Minister Lai Mohammed said that when the ventilators arrived it would be made public.

The lastest figures from South Africa

The impact of coronavirus on Africa's tourism sector

Bloomberg reports on the impact of the coronavirus on Africa's safaris and wildlife tourism sector, which normally takes in around $29 billion per year. That figure is set to fall drastically this year as a result of the pandemic, robbing the continent of much-needed tourism dollars. 

Russia becomes first country to approve a COVID-19 vaccine, says Putin

President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia had become the first country in the world to grant regulatory approval to a Covid-19 vaccine after less than two months of human testing, a move hailed by Moscow as evidence of its scientific prowess.

The development paves the way for the mass inoculation of the Russian population, even as the final stage of clinical trials to test safety and efficacy continue. The speed at which Russia is moving to roll out its vaccine highlights its determination to win the global race for an effective product, but has stirred concerns that it may be putting national prestige before sound science and safety. (Reporting by Reuters)

Nigeria nears the 1,000 death mark

Nigeria has reported 290 cases of coronavirus in the last 24-hour period, bringing its total to 46,867. The number of deaths has risen to 950, with the number of recoveries standing at 33,346.

“Since Friday, 7th of August 2020, we have joined the rest of the world to commemorate World Mask Week, the aim of which is to reinforce the importance of wearing masks to reduce the risk of spread of Covid-19, in the absence of a vaccine," Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, has said. 

Maasai elders, wearing traditional costumes, with face masks on, due to the coronavirus outbreak, use a mobile phone at their homestead within the Orboma Manyatta in Sekenani, near the Maasai Mara game reserve in Narok County, Kenya August 10, 2020. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya

Namibia to auction fishing quota to raise money for Covid-19 medicines

(Reuters) The Namibian government will for the first time auction its 60% share of the country's annual horse mackerel and hake output to the highest bidder by the end of October, as it scrambles to raise funds for equipment and medicines to fight the coronavirus pandemic, according to a government letter seen by Reuters.

The government's 60% quota is normally reserved for state-owned company Fishcor, which has been caught up in a corruption scandal.

"Government is in need of financial resources on an emergency basis with a view to mitigate the effects of Covid-19," Albert Kawana, the minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, said in an Aug. 7 letter to the fishing industry. 

Rwandans caught breaking restrictions taken to all-night lectures on Covid-19

Rwandans caught breaking curfew or not wearing a mask in public places are being taken to stadiums for all-night lectures that seek to raise their awareness on the threat of Covid-19, AFP reports.

According to the news agency, which cites official figures, around 70,000 people have been forced to attend the lectures, which finish “around dawn”, after breaking the African country’s 21:00 curfew or failing to put on a mask.

One man who was taken to one such lecture after being caught without a mask told AFP: "From now on, I'll wear it wherever I am."

Borders opened for stranded Ugandans to return to country by road

Uganda’s government says it is opening its borders for Ugandan nationals stranded abroad in East African Community countries amid the Covid-19 pandemic to return home by road. Repatriation flights have been underway since June.

According to All Africa, Ugandans wishing to return by road from EAC nations (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Tanzania) must get clearance from the Ugandan embassy in the country they are in, as well as a certificate confirming a negative coronavirus test within the past week. 

Coronavirus cases pass 20m mark

Global coronavirus cases have now surpassed 20 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, which bases its data on official figures. As of 08:00 WAT, there had been 20,090,541 cases worldwide, leading to 736,208 deaths.

With just under 5.1m cases and over 163,000 fatalities, the US is by a distance the world’s worst-affected country in the pandemic, followed by Brazil and India, which have registered 3m and 2.2m cases, respectively.

Coronavirus live Africa updates: good morning

Hello and welcome to our live, Africa-focused coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, which as of 08:00 WAT had registered over 20 million cases and more than 736,000 deaths worldwide, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

In Africa, according to the latest update by the World Health Organization (WHO), positive cases are well passed the million mark while almost 23,000 people have died of the virus.