COVID-19 cases surge - The African Mirror

Jul

2021

Senegal’s COVID-19 surge forces difficult Eid al-Adha decisions

NGOUDA DIONE and COOPER INVEEN WITH COVID-19 cases surging across Senegal, Pape Gueye made the difficult decision to spend the first Eid al-Adha of his life apart from his 88-year-old mother. "I know a lot of people who had it," said Gueye, 43, mixing a cup of green tea as he sat with masked friends in front of his flat in the capital, Dakar. "Some of them got through it, and some of them died," he said on Monday, the day before the Muslim holiday to mark the feast of sacrifice, known in Senegal as Tabaski when families gather together…

Jul

2021

By The African Mirror

Tokyo 2020 chief doesn’t rule out cancelling Games

NEWS

JUN-MIN PARK and SAKURA MURAKAMI THE chief of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee has not ruled out cancelling the Olympics if COVID-19 cases spiked, as more athletes tested positive for the virus and sponsors ditched plans to attend Friday's opening ceremony. Asked at a news conference if the global sporting showpiece might still be cancelled, Toshiro Muto said he would keep an eye on infection numbers and liaise with other organisers if necessary. "We will continue discussions if there is a spike in cases," said Muto. "We have agreed that based on the coronavirus situation, we will convene five-party talks…

Jun

2021

By The African Mirror

“Africa is in the midst of a full-blown third-wave”

COVID-19

COVID-19 cases rose by over 20% week-on-week in nearly two dozen African countries and progress on vaccinating Africans is proceeding slowly, with just 0.79% of people on the continent fully vaccinated, senior health officials have disclosed. "Africa is in the midst of a full-blown third-wave...We've seen in India and elsewhere how quickly COVID-19 can rebound and overwhelm health systems," Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa, told a news conference. New cases are up nearly 30% in the past week and deaths are up by 15%, she said, with five countries -- South Africa, Tunisia, Zambia, Uganda and Namibia --…