By Olakunle Agboola – The world has not been the same since coronavirus broke out of China. It has since become a global problem having different countries looking for a way out of the pandemonium. African nations hasn’t been on rest though the global pandemic has already peeled African economies off USD 29Bn. After locking out the rest of the world to inhibit the further entrance of COVID-19, “coronavirus lockdown” now seems like a way forward in safequarding Africa against coronavirus epidemic as there is an increase in the number of African nations shutting down.
Senegal & Ivory Coast
For starters, Senegal and its West African neighbor Ivory Coast, declared states of emergency at the beginning of the week. On its part, Senegal is imposing a dusk-to-dawn curfew.
The move was announced by the president, Macky Sall, after the confirmed coronavirus cases in the country went up to 79. The curfew will go from 8PM to 6AM everyday, affecting public spaces, private meetings, and businesses.
The same goes for Ivory Coast, whose confirmed cases are now 75. Last week, the country shuttered nightclubs and cinemas, a move by the presidency has however said proves inadequate. So it’s easy to assume more measures would be put in place.
President Alassane Ouattara announced a 9PM to 5AM curfew, the closing of all restaurants and a ban on “unauthorised” travel between the seaside commercial capital of Abidjan and the country’s interiors.
South Africa
South Africa has announced a nationwide lockdown of its 56 million inhabitants for 21 days, enforced by police and the army, in a bid to curtail the spread of coronavirus.
Confirmed cases in the country currently sit at 552, the highest in Africa but much lower than other major economies across Europe and America, with zero deaths recorded so far.
In an address to the nation Monday night, President Cyril Ramaphosa ordered South Africans to stay in their homes, apart from to seek medicine or medical care, buy food and supplies or collect a social grant.
The restrictions run from midnight on Thursday, March 26 until midnight on Thursday, April 16. A host of new international travel restrictions and quarantine measures will also be implemented.
Democratic Republic Of Congo
DRC’s second-largest city initiated a lockdown for 48 hours. Though there has been no confirmations whether it will be extended, it is likely because the country now has 30 cases of COVID-19.
On the business side of the coronavirus lockdown, security forces were deployed to make sure stores were closed in the city of Lubumbashi, south-eastern part of the country.
Two people suspected to be carriers of the virus arrived in the country on a flight from Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Even though the country’s health ministry says the two were not infected, companies have already moved on Monday to begin downsizing their operations.
Nigeria
Schools, offices, churches, transportation hubs, hotels and event centres are finding it quite hard to operate in Nigeria, especially in Lagos where the government is trying to initiate a coronavirus lockdown.
The North-west Governors’ Forum has directed that schools within the region should be closed for 30 days. Meanwhile, Lagos, Africa’s largest city seems assailed on all fronts.
Also on Tuesday, Lagos State Government, took more restrictive measures to break the cycle of transmission of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the State. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu directed all markets and stores trading in non-essential commodities to close for seven days.
The directive takes effect from Thursday, March 26.
Also, the Governor reduced the number of people that must participate in a public gathering at any given time from 50 to 25.
Sanwo-Olu disclosed that he had instructed the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Kazeem Alogba, to close all High and Magistrate courts across the State from Thursday to support the efforts being made to stop the epidemic.
Other public places shut by the Government include parks, playgrounds and recreational centres within the State, regardless of ownership.
Coronavirus has hit Aso rock having Mallam Abba Kyari, the President’s chief of staff tested positive to COVID-19 on Monday after he had travelled to Germany on Saturday, March 7th to meet with officials of Siemens in Munich on the Nigerian electricity expansion programme.
He returned on March 14th, but did not show any symptom. Twenty-four hours later he started showing symptoms following which he voluntarily submitted himself for testing, the results of which were delivered yesterday. He has since gone into absolute isolation following the test result.
Kyari’s test result reportedly necessitated the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, to conduct the same test on Buhari which turned out negative.
However, comments by some Nigerians have called for the shutting down of Aso Rock
Algeria
A full coronavirus lockdown was initiated on Monday (March 23) by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune for the Wilayat of Blida where the country’s Chréa National Park is located.
The government has also announced a partial lockdown for the capital, Algiers. A curfew has been implemented from 19:00 to 07:00 (Algeria’s local time).
Also, gatherings greater than two people are prohibited. Businesses are affected but food stores are allowed to remain open in rotation, though crowds must be avoided in the shops.
On March 17, the closure of all land borders and the suspension of all air and maritime links was announced. Nevertheless, there was an exception for those transporting goods.
Rwanda
Rwanda is the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to order a total shutdown because of the coronavirus. The central African country with a small population has confirmed 17 cases of the COVID-19 virus.
All unnecessary movements outside the home have been banned for an initial two weeks except for essential services such as health care and shopping for groceries.
Both public and private workers have also been ordered to work from home to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Rwanda also closed its borders no completely, except for goods and cargo and returning citizens. However, they have to be quarantined for two weeks.
A section of Rwandans has welcomed the measures, but in a country where many survive from hand to mouth, uncertainty looms. And there are no possible bailouts from the central government to support small and medium enterprises, despite the unforeseeable future. Meanwhile, authorities have warned business owners not to increase prices of basic commodities.
Before the shutdown, public gatherings like places of worship had been banned, and those who defied the orders were arrested, according to media reports.
Zimbabwe and Ethiopia close their borders
Elsewhere on the continent, Zimbabwe closedall its borders to traffic except returning residents after reporting its first death from the coronavirus.
The government also banned public gatherings indefinitely.
Ethiopia on Monday shut its land borders to nearly all human traffic as part of efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Given the measures put in place and the current situation, I think it’d be difficult for cases to go under the radar in Africa.
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