The World Health Organisation (WHO) in Africa says travel bans due to the coronavirus pandemic will not be effective because of the porous borders between African countries.
About 18 African countries have recorded cases of the coronavirus infection.
South Africa has now 24 confirmed cases, all of which are patients that travelled internationally.
However, government is yet to declare any travel bans.
Dr Michel Yao, Programme Manager for Emergency Response at the WHO in Africa, says instead governments should intensify screening and containment programmes.
“We have cases in Africa, even in some of the countries we start having local transmission that can become a big issue for most of the African countries due to less capacity in terms of treatment of the severe cases.”
“The travel ban is not a formal recommendation yet from WHO. It’s the African countries that will suffer most mainly in terms of supplies that they require should there be an increasing number of cases in the countries. Because the borders are porous and closing the border cannot guarantee that any case won’t be imported in the country. However, the people coming from these countries should be monitored.”
Close to 140 000 people have been diagnosed in 118 countries across the globe, with over 5000 deaths.
Kenya and Ethiopia confirmed their first cases of the coronavirus on Friday, a woman who had returned to Nairobi from the United States and a Japanese national in Addis Ababa.
Authorities in Nairobi banned all major public events and said they would restrict foreign travel in the wake of East Africa’s first reported case, while the mayor of Addis Ababa urged citizens to avoid close personal contact.
Sub-Saharan Africa has so far been less badly hit by coronavirus than Europe, China or the United States, thanks in part to rapid screening. Most of the reported cases have been in foreigners or people who had traveled abroad.
In the video below, a report on the confirmation of the first coronavirus in Kenya:
Back in South Africa, Limpopo Health MEC Phophi Ramathuba has assured residents that they have nothing to worry about regarding the repatriation and isolation of South Africans from Wuhan, China.
South Africa is expecting the arrival of 122 repatriates from the city of Wuhan in China on Saturday morning, accompanied by members of the SANDF.
The video video below tracks the crew’s trip from SA to China and back again:
They will be quarantined for 21 days at the Ranch Hotel and Resort in Polokwane.
Many in Limpopo remain divided over the plan to quarantine the evacuees in their province.
In the video below, the repatriation teams says it’s all systems go for the repatriation:
Ramathuba says they have been meeting with Health Minister Zweli Mkhize and he has assured them all necessary precautions have been put in place to ensure that those being repatriated do not have the COVID-19 infection.
“As soon as the first case was announced by the minister, we had to up our game, try to also start looking at tracer teams where we started to train them and also to move on and find a way as to how do we then reduce and minimise the risk. National cabinet was here. We had questions, including myself; we have been with minister since Monday evening. So, we have been reassured all the questions that we have, have been answered. What I can indicate to the people of Limpopo is to say let’s work together.”
The infographic below below details the living conditions of those who will be under quarantine:
Event cancellations:
The coronavirus has caused the postponement of the Ironman African championships that was due to be held on the 29th of March in Port Elizabeth. It will now take place on the 15th of November. This after the Eastern Cape Health department sat down with Ironman officials to discuss the way forward. Thousands of people were expected to visit Port Elizabeth for the event.
In the video below, IronMan Managing Director, Keith Bowler, explains why they had to postpone:
The Cape Epic Mountain Bike Race has also been cancelled because of the coronavirus. The race is billed as the toughest mountainbike stage race in the world. It was due to start in Cape Town on Sunday.
Also in Cape Town, organisers of Cape Town’s globally famed International Jazz Festival have announced that this year’s edition – scheduled for the 27th of this month – has been postponed as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. They say it was a necessary decision not to jeopardise the health of festival goers and the dozens of international and local acts.
The organisers have apologised for the late notice of the cancellation, but say it was needed as a public health precautionary measure.
Jazz lovers have been referred to the Jazz Festival’s website for questions and the refund of tickets.
On Thursday, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize and member of the inter-ministerial committee on the coronavirus said they would engage religious groups on the matter.
He was briefing the media at The Ranch Hotel and Resort in Polokwane.
“We were meeting up with the ZCC. We are going to continue to meet other churches on Thursday. Next, we are meeting South African Council of Churches with all the churches that they can find. We are going to discuss the issue. Now, the challenge here is that if you want to prevent infection, the simplest thing is listen, cancel Good Friday, cancel, this cancel that. One, it’s not as easy as that. You also can’t make restrictions unilaterally. We don’t run the churches. We have to support the churches. We have to enlighten people and so on.”
Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa will this weekend chair an urgent meeting of Cabinet that will discuss ways to limit the spread of the coronavirus from travellers coming into the country.
There have been calls by the Democratic Alliance (DA) to impose mandatory 14-day quarantine on all travellers coming into South Africa from the worst-affected countries.
