COVID-19 - The African Mirror

Jun

30

2020

Superspreaders: Why Covid-19 is difficult to curb

COVID-19

TEBADI MMOTLA AS the government eases its lockdown regulations and reopens the economy, the number of Covid-19 cases is increasing rapidly. South Africa has surpassed China, where the outbreak began, in infections. Health Minister Dr. Zweli Mkhize. Photo: GCIS This is a concern for Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize, who recently published an article in The Sunday Times newspaper detailing a typical day fighting Covid-19. In the piece, Mkhize describes being worried that although people are dying and others are battling to breathe on ventilators, some South Africans are not taking the pandemic seriously. He fears many will realise the magnitude of the…

Jul

07

2020

By The African Mirror

SA’s North West politicians hit by COVID-19 storm

COVID-19

STAFF REPORTER The upper political echelons in the North West province of South Africa has been hit by a mini-COVID-19 tsunami. Job Mokgoro.Photo: nwpg.gov.za The Premier of the province Job Mokgoro and Saliva Molapisi, a member of the North West executive council for Public Works and Roads have tested positive for COVID-19. The development comes a day after their colleague, Gordon Kegakilwe, who was responsible for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, died from COVID-19 pneumonia. Mokgoro and Molapisi have now gone into self-isolation. "Premier Mokgoro is not incapacitated to carry out his duties as he was only presented…

Jul

06

2020

By The African Mirror

Kenya announces phased re-opening of the country from coronavirus lockdown

COVID-19

AYENAT MERSIE and OMAR MOHAMMED KENYA’S President Uhuru Kenyatta today announced a phased re-opening of the country from a lockdown imposed to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, lifting restrictions in and out of the capital Nairobi and the coastal city of Mombasa. "Today I order and direct that the cessation of movement into and out of the Nairobi metropolitan area, Mombasa county and Mandera county that is currently enforced shall lapse today or at 4 a.m. (0100 GMT) tomorrow, Tuesday the 7th of July 2020," said Kenyatta in a televised address. Kenyatta extended the current nationwide nightly curfew…

Mar

03

2021

By The African Mirror

Festival gives Sudanese film lovers drive-in cinema

COVID-19

SUDANESE moviegoers are enjoying what organisers are saying is their first drive-in cinema after a festival showcasing the country's resurgent, post-uprising film scene moved outdoors this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. About 100 vehicles gathered in a Khartoum parking lot across from giant screens showing Sudanese and European films on Friday, the start of a week-long festival organized by the British Council. "We're watching films from our cars, and that's something that has never happened before in Sudan," said Asmaa, among festival attendees sitting inside, next to, and on top of their cars for the nighttime screenings. Once heavily…

Mar

03

2021

By The African Mirror

142 countries to get 237 million doses

COVID-19

SOME 237 million doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine are expected to be delivered to 142 countries by the end of May through the COVAX facility, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, told a news conference that vaccine deliveries were planned on Tuesday to Angola, Cambodia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria. Ghana's president Nana Akufo-Addo said his West African country, which has begun its innoculation campaign with COVAX doses, aimed to vaccinate 20 million people by the end of 2021.

Mar

03

2021

By The African Mirror

Ghana kicks off vaccinations

COVID-19

CHRISTIAN AKORLIE GHANA began its coronavirus vaccination drive yesterday with 600 000 AstraZeneca doses it received from the global COVAX vaccine-sharing facility aimed at providing shots to developing nations to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic. People lined up for shots outside the regional hospital in the capital, Accra, for a first phase of vaccinations which will prioritise frontline health workers and others at high risk. "I feel so good about taking the vaccine. It will protect me from contracting the virus from patients," said Bernice Anaglatey, 42, who works in the COVID-19 intensive care unit at Accra's Ridge Hospital as…

Mar

03

2021

By The African Mirror

Nigeria takes delivery of its first vaccines

COVID-19

NIGERIA yesterday received its first COVID-19 vaccines to kick off an inoculation programme in Africa's most populous nation, delivered under the international COVAX scheme. The West African nation of 200 million people took delivery of 3.92 million doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. Nigeria is the third West African country to receive COVAX shots, after Ghana and Ivory Coast, which have both started vaccination campaigns. Dozens of Nigerian officials, wearing yellow high-visibility jackets and facemasks, met the flight delivering the vaccines on the airport tarmac in Abuja. The government aims to start by vaccinating frontline healthcare workers, the highest-priority recipients, in…

Mar

02

2021

By The African Mirror

Zimbabwe eases COVID-19 lockdown

COVID-19

ZIMBABWE yesterday eased a coronavirus lockdown and overnight curfew imposed in January by allowing businesses to fully re-open after the rate of new infections slowed in the last two weeks. The news comes a day after neighbouring country South Africa eased restrictions to allow liquor sales under normal trading time and shortened curfew hours from midnight to 4 a.m., as cases in the country fell after a new coronavirus variant led to widespread infections in December and January. Infections in Zimbabwe peaked in January, forcing the government to close or limit most businesses as well as curb the movement of…

Mar

02

2021

By The African Mirror

Nigeria begins registration for vaccinations

COVID-19

NIGERIA launched an online registration portal for COVID-19 vaccinations, its primary healthcare agency said yesterday, the day before the first doses are expected to arrive for its 200 million people. Osindeinde Ademilayo Abodede, a healthcare worker, was the first to register for the vaccine, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) said in a Tweet on Monday. Her appointment was scheduled for March 12 in Abuja. "Our goal is to introduce COVID-19 vaccine in a phased and equitable manner...ultimately vaccinating all eligible Nigerians within the next two years, to ensure herd immunity," Health Minister Osagie Ehanire said in a…

Mar

02

2021

By The African Mirror

Ivory Coast starts vaccination drive

COVID-19

LOUCOUMANE COULIBALY IVORY Coast yesterday launched the world's first COVID-19 inoculation drive with doses imported from the COVAX sharing facility, a milestone in the race to extend vaccine access to poorer countries. Patrick Achi, the secretary-general at the presidency, was the first to be vaccinated at a sports complex in the commercial capital Abidjan. Onlookers cheered as a health worker in a white coat and pink scrubs delivered the injection. Medical personnel, teachers and security forces members were also being vaccinated in the first phase of the campaign targeting 3% of the population. "The vaccines offer us the hope of…