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Tag: Covid-19

Africa Southern Africa World Zambia 

Zambia: High Covid-19 deaths linked to negligence of medical staff

Elwin Mandowa, , , , ,

– – Zambia, has in recent months experienced unprecedented levels of COVID 19 infection rates and deaths. In the past, the country used to record single digits to no deaths a day, but the months of May, June and early July, this year, saw the numbers spiking to between 50 and over 60 deaths a day. Current records indicate that there have been 190,615 infections and 3,221 coronavirus-related deaths reported in the country since the pandemic began. While the Zambian government attributes this rise to laxity among citizens, prevention-wise, some…

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Africa Ghana West Africa World 

Ghana tightens Covid-19 restrictions as it battles a third wave

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , , ,

– – The government of Ghana has tightened its Covid-19 restrictions to curb the outbreak of the pandemic as the country battles a third wave of infections. Among others, there is a ban on receptions after social gatherings especially funerals. The Covid-19 taskforce is also stepping up enforcement of protocols including mandatory wearing of face masks. In a televised address to the nation, Ghana’s President Nana Akufo Addo said all funerals must be held in open air spaces within a two – hour duration. The President Akufo-Addo warned against flouting of…

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Africa East Africa World 

Covid-19: Tanzania secures 1 million vaccine doses for citizens

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , , , ,

Tanzania’s government has announced plans to vaccinate at least 60 percent of the population against Covid-19. The country last Friday secured one million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine from the United States through the World Health Organization’s Covax initiative. Tanzania’s Health Minister Dorothy Gwajima said priority will be given to frontline workers, the elderly and those with underlying health issues when the vaccination exercise begins. “We will announce health centres where the vaccines will be available and the procedures that will be used to provide the vaccine,” she said. The…

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Africa World 

Africa records significant surge in Covid-19 related deaths

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , ,

– – There are concerns among health experts in Africa that the continent is getting overwhelmed by the Covid-19 pandemic. It follows news of a 43% jump in Covid-19 deaths from last week, according to the World Health Organization. The WHO’s weekly briefing revealed that infections and hospital admissions have now risen and many countries are facing shortages of oxygen and intensive-care beds. On Thursday the WHO Africa office revealed that the case fatality rate which is the proportion of deaths among confirmed cases now stands at 2.6% against the…

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Africa Business World 

Commonwealth countries lose $345 bln in trade due to Covid-19

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , ,

– – Commonwealth countries are estimated to have lost up to US$345 billion worth of trade in 2020, including $60 billion in intra-Commonwealth trade, according to 2021 Commonwealth Trade Review on “Energising Commonwealth Trade in a Digital World: Paths to Recovery Post-COVID”. Released today, the Commonwealth Trade Review provides a timely and comprehensive analysis of the impact of the pandemic on the trade and investment flows of Commonwealth member countries. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll globally, substantially impacting all Commonwealth members economies and leading to US$1.15 trillion in…

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Africa Ghana West Africa World 

Ghana records most contagious Indian Covid-19 variant

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , ,

– – Ghana has recorded cases of the most contagious Covid-19 variant, originating from India. The Indian variant, also known as the Delta variant, is one of the forty-five (45) variants which are currently in Ghana. It has increased Covid-19 infections in India and the UK despite the high percentage of people who have been vaccinated in the said countries. Head of the West Africa Center for Cell Biology and Infectious Pathogens, WACCBIP, of the University of Ghana, Professor Gordon Awendare confirmed the development. “Overall we have about 45 or 46 different…

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Africa Namibia Southern Africa World 

Covid-19: Namibia’s capital Windhoek on two-week lockdown

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , ,

– – Namibia’s government has announced a two-week lockdown of the capital Windhoek to fight the spike in Coronavirus pandemic. The city has recorded more than half of the Covid infections in the entire country. On Tuesday evening President Hage Geingob announced tighter measures to limit the spread of virus after recent spike in infections and deaths. In a televised address, the president said the Covid situation had taken “a turn for the worst” in the past four weeks, with record daily infections and deaths. Geingob said several leaders including…

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Africa East Africa World 

Uganda shuts down schools to contain COVID-19 spread

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , ,

– – Schools in Uganda have been shut down with public gatherings also suspended to contain a surge of infections in a second Covid-19 wave. Public transport between districts will be banned starting Thursday as well to allow students who are in schools to return home. Bars, cinemas and theatres have also been closed in latest directives from President Yoweri Museveni. He addressed the nation in a speech broadcast live on the state television on actions taken by the Covid-19 taskforce to deal with the pandemic. The full text of the…

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Africa World 

New study predicts more Covid-19 patients to die in Africa

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , ,

– – A new study has predicted that patients who are critically ill with Covid-19 are more likely to die in Africa than in any other region in the world. The study published by The Lancet attributes this to the shortage of crucial equipment in hospitals that are helpful in saving lives as well as shortage of specialised staff. About 48% of severely ill patients admitted to a hospital in Africa die, the report notes, compared to the global average of 31.5. And the rate could be even higher in…

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