South Africa Lifts THE AFRICAN STORY Lockdown Restrictions page 4 Top 10 Countries In Africa ISSUE NUMBER 733 VOLUME 2 17 - 23 AUGUST 2020 That Offer The Best Safari Experience? page 12 AFRICA’S COVID-19 EVOLUTION DIFFERENT -WHO page 2 • Difficult To Determine Specific Infection Peak In The Continent 2 Echo Report Echo Newspaper 17 - 23 August 2020 THE AFRICAN STORY News, Finance, Travel and Sport Telephone: (267) 391 2305 E-mail: newsdesk@echo. co.bw Advertising Telephone: (267) 3922 655 E-mail: [email protected] Sales & Marketing Manager Ruele Ramoeng [email protected] Editor Bright Kholi [email protected] Head of Design Ame Kolobetso [email protected] Distribution & Circulation Mogapi Ketletseng [email protected] Echo is published by YMH Publishing YMH Publishing, Unit 3, Kgale Court, Plot 128, GIFP, Gaborone Postal address: P O BOX 840, Gaborone, Botswana Telephone: (267) 3922 655 Africa’s COVID-19 E-mail: [email protected] www.echo.co.bw DISCLAIMER: Echo Newspaper welcomes evolution different -WHO concise letters from readers. Letters must carry the full name and address of the sender. Letters must As Africa marked the sixth moth with the highest infections in preventive, diagnostic and care for patients (47%) are all conform to the laws of last week since the COVID-19 Africa and at fifth spot in the treatment measures being particularly low at the district Botswana and to the Press Council of Botswana’s Code pandemic was first detected, the world had reached its peak of strengthened, with all countries level.” Of Ethics. Letters will also be World Health Organisation says infections. now able to diagnose COVID-19, Dr Moeti has underscored that edited for length, libel and its evolution in the continent has The world health governing 14 performing over 100 tests per while progress has been made, it language. been different to other regions body said that COVID-19 initially 10 000 population. is important that governments of the world that the virus has capital cities in Africa but has “Production of oxygen, step up readiness and response affected. since changed and was now critical for severely ill COVID-19 measures, particularly at moving from high density urban patients, has also considerably the subnational levels. With Lately, many countries in areas to informal settlements and increased, with the number the loosening of movement Africa have been experiencing then onward to rural areas that of oxygen plants in the region restrictions, there are risks sudden surges in the cases, have a lower population density. rising to 119 from 68 at the onset, that the virus may spread even forcing them to re-introduce while the number of oxygen further into remote areas of the restrictions to movement in a According to Regional Director concentrators has more than continent. bid to contain the local spread for Africa Dr Matshidiso Moeti, doubled to over 6000.” “Not only must we keep up with of the virus. curbing COVID-19 in the A recent WHO assessment the evolving trends, we must also Read more Echo The World Health Organization continent is a marathon and based on self-reporting by 16 anticipate, predict and act faster stories on our (WHO) says its preliminary not a sprint. countries in sub-Saharan Africa to head off potentially disastrous Facebook page by analysis has found that an “We are observing multiple found that the countries improved outcomes,” said Dr Moeti. “Areas exponential surge in cases which local outbreaks each with their their capacity to respond to of high transmission as well as scanning the QR peak about two to three weeks own infection patterns and peaks. COVID-19. WHO measured localities with relatively fewer code below with later is not occurring in Africa, It is by bolstering the response countries’ readiness in a range infections both deserve attention. your mobile phone but instead, many countries are at the community level that we of areas including coordination, In short we must be strong on experiencing a gradual rise in will win this race. The COVID-19 surveillance, laboratory capacity, all fronts.” COVID-19 cases and it is difficult response must be integrated case management, infection The health body is currently to discern a specific peak. into the fabric of every health prevention and control. supporting countries witnessing “Transmission patterns district,” Dr Moeti said. “Six months ago, the score was a large number of COVID-19 also differ between countries, The analysis also found that in 62% and now it is 78%. While infections, and South Africa but more importantly within the past six months, countries much progress appears to have became the first country to countries,” WHO said. have made a lot of progress, been made at the national level, receive members of a surge team That being the case, South with many governments quick at the district level countries from WHO. Africa on Saturday lifted to impose lockdowns and key are generally lagging behind. lockdown restrictions on the public health measures that The scores for coordination (Additional Reporting WHO) economy as President Cyril helped to slow down the virus. (38%), infection prevention Ramaphosa said the country, This has over time led to and control (46%) and clinical Echo Newspaper 17 - 23 August 2020 Echo Report 3 Seven African countries to start testing for COVID-19 antibodies Seven African countries will in Addis Ababa. start administering coronavirus Western governments are antibody tests from next week, a using antibody tests to find out regional body said on Thursday, how many of their citizens have as part of efforts to understand been infected, in the hope that the extent of the outbreak on will help them reopen their the continent. economies. Africa has so far conducted 9.4 million coronavirus tests, a 10% increase over last week, Nkengasong said. These tests show whether people currently “Liberia, Sierra have COVID-19. The continent’s relative isolation has so far spared Leone, Zambia, it the worst of the pandemic, but Zimbabwe, low levels of testing in many ‘‘ countries mean Africa’s infection Cameroon, Nigeria, rates are likely to be higher than Morocco are the reported, experts say. As of Thursday, Africa had first set of countries recorded more than a 1 million that committed cases of COVID-19 and 24,113 deaths, according to a Reuters to it,” said John tally. Nkengasong said 25 Nkengasong, African countries still have full border closures while 23 “Liberia, Sierra Leone, are imposing testing at entry Zambia, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, points. He stressed the need to Nigeria, Morocco are the first set harmonize border testing and of countries that committed to recognition of certificates in it,” said John Nkengasong, head order to facilitate travel. of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, based (Reuters ) MOKORO LODGE is a 36 bedroom hotel, located in Maun. 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Despite imposing one of the world’s toughest lockdowns when the country had only a few hundred cases, South Africa saw a surge in coronavirus infections that left it with the fifth highest number of cases in the world — currently around 579,000, of whom around 11,500 have died. The COVID-19 crisis has battered an economy already in recession and pushed millions of South Africans deeper into extreme poverty. But Ramaphosa said rates of new infections had fallen to an average of 5,000 a day, from a peak of 12,000 a day. This, as well as a rise in recoveries, were “significantly reducing the pressure on our health facilities”, but he cautioned that cases could surge if people fail to maintain vigilance. Restrictions on international travel remained in place, he said. The lifting of restrictions on South Africa Lifts alcohol will be a relief to the battered hospitality and drinks industries, some of which have been pushed close to bankruptcy Lockdown Restrictions and shed thousands of jobs. “The further easing of restrictions South African President of the Public Health Emergency, “All indications are that South “The move to level two means presents us with the greatest Cyril Ramaphosa has said all Ramaphosa said the government Africa has reached the peak and that we can remove nearly opportunity since the start of indications were that South would end the ban on alcohol moved beyond the inflection all of the restrictions on the the pandemic to breathe life Africa had reached the peak of and tobacco, allow restaurants point of the curve,” Ramaphosa resumption of economic activity into our struggling economy,” COVID-19 infections Ramaphosa and taverns to return to normal said, adding that the cabinet across most industries,” he said. Ramaphosa said. made the announcement on business, subject to strict hygiene had decided to move to lower, Ramaphosa made the Saturday night as he announced regulations, and remove the ban “level two” restrictions from announcement at a time when (Reuters.) a sweeping removal of lockdown on travel between provinces.