Weekly Coronavirus Analysis-African Continent

Africa accounts for less than 3 percent of global coronavirus cases, but the continent is seeing an acceleration in confirmed numbers .There are now 280,812 reported cases of the Coronavirus in Africa. Last week, the World Health Organization said confirmed cases on the continent had doubled to 200,000 over 18 days. Many African nations made a mammoth effort to quickly bring in lockdowns and sanitary measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Seven out of 54 countries account for the rise as 78% of the cases have been recorded from them.  These countries are: South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana, Algeria, Cameroon, and Morocco. 74% of the deaths are taking place in the 7 countries mentioned above.

Some countries have not been capturing the daily tests done hence it’s difficult to ascertain the total tests done in the whole continent.

All cases in Seychelles have recovered and no new cases have been reported during the past week.

Namibia and Lesotho are the two countries in Southern Africa which have not reported any Coronavirus related deaths.

South Africa remains the most affected country as it accounts for 30% of the continents total cases. The country has recorded a 25,788 increase in the number of confirmed cases during the week under review. The death toll also increased by 477 to bring to 1,831 fatalities from 1,354. The Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces are reporting high number of cases and deaths daily. The Western Cape has so far been hit the hardest by the disease, accounting for about 60% of infections across the country.

On the 14^th of June, President Ramaphosa announced that the country will remain at lockdown #level 3, however, additional sectors of the economy will now be allowed to reopen provided that strict measures are in place to ensure physical distancing and personal hygiene. Ramaphosa said it was important to reopen personal care services because it employs many women.

A study by the University of Oxford in Britain found that the drug dexamethasone which is also manufactured in South Africa by one of the country’s pharmaceutical companies reduced deaths among patients on ventilation by a third. The Department of Health and the Ministerial Advisory Committee has recommended that dexamethasone can be considered for use on patients on ventilators and on oxygen supply.

An Africa medical supplies portal, a single continental marketplace which allows countries to access critical medical supplies, will ensure that the continent is not at the back of the queue for critical life-saving supplies during the Covid-19 pandemic.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, who launched the online portal in his capacity as AU chair on Thursday, said the platform will help African states to address shortages and security of supply. It will also ensure price competitiveness and transparency in procurement, reduce logistical delays, simplify payment processes and provide a common platform where governments can access services from certified suppliers.

The Minerals Council of SA refuted claims that the mining sector is the epicenter of the disease in South Africa. The council publishes a daily update of the number of cases that have been identified in the industry. Mining companies have promptly been making public announcements when clusters of infections have been diagnosed at particular operations. There have been five such situations over the past four weeks. The council also highlighted that the higher proportion of infections in the sector compared to the population was a function of its vigorous screening, testing and contract tracing regime.

The Democratic Republic of Congo anticipates a 20% drop in mining revenue amid project delays and lower mineral prices as a result of Covid-19, Mines Minister Willy Kitobo Samsoni said. Several of Congo’s miners have had to delay construction of new production facilities meant to comply with upcoming restrictions on the export of copper and cobalt concentrates because of the global pandemic. Congo is the world’s largest producer of cobalt and Africa’s biggest exporter of copper. DRC has 5,283 confirmed cases of the virus and 117 deaths reported. The country has the 11^th highest number of cases.

In Tanzania, President Magufuli became the first African leader to declare victory over the virus, even though health data has not been released for more than a month. The last reported cases of the Coronavirus in Tanzania were 509 cases and 21 deaths.

Zimbabwean Statistics

During the week under review, Zimbabwe recorded a 136 increase in the number of cases from 343 to 479. The death toll has remained at 4 and the number of recoveries is now at 63, which is a jump by 12 cases from the previously reported 51 cases. The number of active cases is now at 412.

Harare remains the epicenter of the disease with 172 confirmed cases and 144 active cases. The province has the highest number of recoveries of 26. 

Masvingo has the second highest number of confirmed cases of 50 and 13 recoveries hence the province has 37 active cases.  

The Midlands province has 40 confirmed cases, 3 recoveries and 37 active cases. 

Matabeleland South has not recorded any recovery and the number of cases in the province is at 46.

61 928 (35 811 RDT and 26 117 PCR) tests have been conducted nationwide.