Regional economic blocs in East and West Africa are looking for ways to work together to combat the spread of COVID-19 across each other’s borders as countries begin plans to get out of lockdown.
In the East African Community region, Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni on Tuesday said he was in talks with his neighbours to see how Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda can collaborate in testing truck drivers who operate across the region’s borders as they are now a high-risk group for COVID-19 infections.
In the Ecowas region leaders have held a teleconference to discuss a collective action to save its 400 million people from the effects of the disease.
On Wednesday, President Cyril Rampahosa, who is also Chairperson of the African Union, chaired a virtual meeting of the chairpersons of the AU Regional Economic Communities (REC).
Africa had as of Monday, registered 33 273 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 1 467 deaths in at least 52 member states. South Africa leads with 4992 cases.
The rising number of cases have put a strain on the continent’s public health systems, which are already strained.
Tanzania is of great concern in the East African region. The number of COVID-19 cases in Tanzania on Wednesday jumped to 480 after 196 more people tested positive.
Tanzania’s President John Magufuli has resisted the stringent measures carried out by his country’s neighbours.
The Ecowas region has appointed Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari to lead the battle against the spread of COVID-19 as well as the decision on the re-opening of borders. The bloc of 15 countries also faces an economic stall as the COVID-19 has shut almost every type of business in the region.
In a meeting on Wednesday, President Rampahosa briefed the chairpersons of the eight regional economic blocs on what the African Union is doing to combat the disease including the formation of an African COVID-19 response fund, which has to-date raised over 26 million US dollars.
Rampahosa also spoke of the African Union’s push for debt relief for African countries whose economies have been badly battered by measures taken to contain the spread of the disease.
In Uganda, President Yoweri Museveni said the country would lift lockdown after the ministry of health concludes an assessment of the prevalence of COVID-19 in communities.
Museveni said in a televised address that the outcome of the survey will be announced on Monday and will determine the next step the country would take when the 35-day lockdown ends on May 5.
