Coronavirus spreads across Africa with six new countries confirming cases as nations race to try and contain outbreak
- Six new countries in Africa confirmed cases of coronavirus on Saturday
- It means that 25 of the continent’s 54 countries have COVID-19 patients
- All cases were brought to the continent by travelers from overseas
- Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
Africa is seeing a steady spread of the coronavirus across the continent, with six new countries confirming cases on Saturday.
It means 25 of the continent’s 54 countries have COVID-19 patients, with the Republic of Congo being the latest country reporting a case, late Saturday.
Eswatini, Equatorial Guinea, Mauritania, Namibia and Rwanda also confirmed their first cases Saturday.
All were brought to the continent by travelers from overseas, as with almost all the other cases reported in Africa, according to health authorities.
Kenyan health workers dressed in protective suits walk after disinfecting the residence where Kenya’s first confirmed coronavirus patient was staying, in the town of Rongai near Nairobi
A fan wears a face mask during a Super Rugby match as it was announced that Super Rugby will be put on hold after this weekend’s matches over the coronavirus outbreak in Durban, South Africa
The Republic of Congo government reported its first case of the coronavirus on Saturday and said that a duel French and Republic of Congo citizen returned from Paris on an Ethiopian Airlines flight on March 1.
After recently showing symptoms, they alerted authorities. The government asked that others on that flight come forward.
African governments and health officials are racing to try to contain the spread of the new virus on the continent of 1.3billion people.
If the disease spreads locally within the continent, health officials warn that several countries with fragile health systems could see higher mortality rates.
Namibia, which confirmed two cases of people who arrived from Spain, canceled its independence celebrations planned for March 21.
The funds that were to have been spent on the independence festivities will now be used to fight the further spread of the coronavirus, said officials.
President Hage Geingob will be sworn into a second term of office, but all other large gatherings have been suspended for the next 30 days.
Flights linking Namibia to and from Qatar, Ethiopia and Germany have been suspended for 30 days.
In response to two cases it confirmed on Saturday, Mauritania closed schools for a week, reduced border crossing points, placed a ban on public gatherings and called for travelers from countries at risk to voluntarily confine themselves at home.
Passengers wait to be screened after arriving at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Naiobi, Kenya, after arriving from China in January
Rwanda has placed washing basins with soap and sanitiser on streets for commuters to use before boarding buses (Nyabugogo Bus Park in Kigali pictured on March 11)
In South Africa, 14 new cases were confirmed Saturday, bringing the country’s total to 38.
A South African military plane repatriated 121 South African students who had been stranded in Wuhan, China, where the outbreak first became a crisis. The South African jet landed at the Polokwane airport in the country’s north.
All passengers had tested negative before the flight back from China but as a precautionary measure the group, including the crew, will be in quarantine for 21 days at a nearby hotel.
The roads leading to both entrances of the Ranch Resort are being patrolled by the army and police, authorities said.
Africa’s hospitals may not be adequately prepared to care for large numbers of people who may need intensive care and ventilators, say health experts.
This map of the world (above) shows some of the coronavirus cases declared across the globe since yesterday