Africa talks tough against coronavirus but many wonder why

By Cooper Inveen

 

FILE PHOTO: A woman wears a face mask, due to the global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, as she walks along a busy shopping street in Dakar, Senegal March 18, 2020. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra

 

FREETOWN (Reuters) - Shoppers threaded their way between stalls hawking everything from watches to pigs’ feet in Sierra Leone’s capital on Wednesday, two days after the government banned large gatherings to combat the coronavirus but exempted markets such as this.

 

Buyers and sellers at the Abacha market say they can’t afford to stay away anyway. They depend on it for their daily food and wages.

 

A growing number of African countries are announcing increasingly restrictive measures to try to halt the spread of the virus, which has infected more than 200,000 people globally and killed nearly 9,000. They have shut borders, closed schools and universities and barred large public gatherings.

 

On Wednesday, Uganda banned religious gatherings and weddings, despite not having a single coronavirus case. South Africa strongly encouraged restaurants and bars to provide take-out services only.

 

Sierra Leone, despite not having a reported infection, banned gatherings of more than 100 people on Monday. Markets that draw thousands of people were exempt.

 

“We don’t have this virus here yet, so why should we stop?” said Abacha soap vendor Adama Jalloh, as a baby dozed against the back of her traditional print dress.

 

“Even during Ebola time we were able to sell,” she said, referring to a deadly outbreak that killed thousands in West Africa in 2013-16.

 

Africa was slower to feel the impact than Asia or Europe, but 31 African nations have now recorded cases, with 13 reported deaths. The World Health Organization on Wednesday advised African countries to avoid mass gatherings and “wake up” to the growing threat.

 

PATIENTS ON THE RUN

 

On Wednesday, Kenya - which has seven cases - announced that anyone entering the country who fails to observe the required 14 days of self-isolation would be arrested. But there’s no system for monitoring new arrivals, and some flout the rules.

 

A Kenyan legislator who turned up in parliament this week was forced out by cries of “quarantine! quarantine!” after another lawmaker pointed out he’d recently arrived from London.

 

In South Africa, which has 116 cases - more than any other sub-Saharan nation - a family that tested positive for the virus refused to go into quarantine this week, forcing officials to get a court order.

 

“Patients who are tested positive for the COVID-19 virus are required to stay (in quarantine). Not for their safety, but also for the safety of others,” said Kwara Kekana, spokeswoman for the Gauteng provincial health department.

 

Some Africans find the measures draconian.

 

In western Ivory Coast, which has only six coronavirus cases and no deaths, some people thought it was a bit much when the government told them to keep one metre apart and wash their hands rigorously.

 

“People are exaggerating a bit. The disease hasn’t really spread far here, and they’re scaring us by telling us not to greet and to wear masks,” said Namory Doumbia, a 28-year-old chauffeur.

 

Bans on large gatherings are sometimes selectively applied, confusing citizens. Senegal, a mostly Muslim West African country, cancelled religious festivals five days ago, but initially spared Islamic prayers.

 

“We cannot forbid religious gatherings,” said Mbackiou Faye, a representative of Senegal’s powerful Mouride Muslim brotherhood. “It is with our prayers and our incantations that God answers them and spares us from diseases.”

 

Late on Wednesday, Senegal - which has 36 cases - ordered both churches and mosques closed. But they remained open in other nations like Burkina Faso, where hundreds prayed together side-by-side in one of the capital’s largest mosques.

 

Both Kenya and South Africa have directed public minibuses that provide transport to millions of people to provide passengers with hand sanitizers. Checks by Reuters revealed that few had done so.

 

Passengers at a busy minibus rank in Johannesburg’s financial centre said they lived too far from their jobs to walk, and there was no other transportation.

 

“I don’t feel safe in the (minibus) taxi,” said 29-year-old Lerato Sibandi, who needed to travel to her retail job. “But I don’t have a choice.”

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-03-19

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The suffering this disease could cause in Africa could be emense. Let's hope it doesn't take hold there.

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

“It is with our prayers and our incantations that God answers them and spares us from diseases.”

I hear you, brother. I'm incanting right now.

It looks like Africa has  Thailands attitude, and they will get hit hard by

this virus, but hey  what do I know?

Geezer

3 hours ago, cms22 said:

The suffering this disease could cause in Africa could be emense. Let's hope it doesn't take hold there.

Sure, it could be the worst in Africa, they have no structures as in Europe or Asia

Africa's good luck was that most of the ~200,000-250,000 Chinese workers in Africa went home for Chinese New Year and then got travel-banned.  

As China lets-up on travel restrictions Africa will get crushed by covid-19 infections.  Their only hope is if a treatment and/or a vaccine gets fast-tracked.  

Edited March 20, 20206 yr by Iron Tongue

5 hours ago, Iron Tongue said:

Africa's good luck was that most of the ~200,000-250,000 Chinese workers in Africa went home for Chinese New Year and then got travel-banned.  

As China lets-up on travel restrictions Africa will get crushed by covid-19 infections.  Their only hope is if a treatment and/or a vaccine gets fast-tracked.  

I beg to differ. I live half of the year in Lagos since 10 years and just arrived from Bangkok yesterday, 1 days before the borders got closed. I was here when Ebola spread. I was in Thailand when there was SARS and H1N1 Avian Flue.

This continent is indestructible, simply because it has nothing to lose. People here die daily in troves from various diseases, bad pollution and hazardous food. A few more won't matter.

 

Average life expectancy in Nigeria is just 50 years. Covid-19 deaths of Italy have shown an average age of 80 years (with preconditions), an age we simply do not achieve here!

 

In my opinion the crisis in Europe is a crisis of wealth and welfare: Old people with serious pre-conditions die from it, which is very sad and regrettable. And Europe can afford to shutdown the country for all people in order to safe and protect these elderly people at any cost. Nobody in Europe wants to come out and explain the truth: That around 1 Mill. in each country is going to die and that the measure will only delay the inevitable (unless you believe that a cure will be found within 6 month or less). We still we see how this strategy will work out.

 

Here in Africa, they just will let go and move on because they are in survival mode since decades.

 

All the best!

10 hours ago, klauskunkel said:

I hear you, brother. I'm incanting right now.

Where is that imogi that slaps ones intelligence 

25 minutes ago, Dap said:

Where is that imogi that slaps ones intelligence 

it went to Africa

9 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

it went to Africa

one would hope that it was at the very least ... entertaining 

Reality is that very few health systems in African countries can expect to cope with this pandemic. As Igbochief, says, just will add a bit to the regular death toll. Not much chance of intensive care for most people. With limited tourism and travel, closing your countries borders will have little economic impact but will slow down the spread. 

 

Probably Africa as a continent will suffer more from the coming corona induced global recession than the disease itself. Will bounce back quickly otherwise.