Weekly Regional COVID-19 updates – 6 October 2020
General:
Covid-19 pandemic: Tracking the global coronavirus outbreak
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51235105
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said the Covid-19 outbreak in Africa may have passed its peak but warns governments not to be complacent as countries relax their restrictions.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-53181555
A week after surpassing 1 million coronavirus deaths, the world has amassed more than 35 million COVID-19 cases, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
Source: https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/world-passes-35-million-cases-covid-19
South Africa:
Maverick Citizen this week shares the stories of 26 workers who have been at the frontline of the Covid-19 response. These men and women work in health facilities in the nine provinces, some as doctors, others as nurses and some as mortuary workers, cleaners and porters.
Women made up 67% of individuals who lost their jobs during the beginning of South Africa’s national lockdown, but what about those women who kept their jobs: how have they been affected? New evidence from the NIDS-CRAM shows that wage inequality between low-earning men and women has substantially widened as a result of the lockdown, and is likely driven by disproportionate childcare responsibilities.
Source: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-09-30-womens-wage-woes-during-the-covid-19-lockdown/
Community organisers and leaders in informal settlements and townships have been concerned that some in their communities do not seem to be taking the Covid-19 epidemic seriously.
Zimbabwe:
Issues of border security have resurfaced as Zimbabwe reopens its borders including at least 18 land ports.
Zimbabwe Teachers Union Rejects UNICEF Push to Keep African Schools Open During Pandemic
Source: https://www.voanews.com/africa/zimbabwe-teachers-union-rejects-unicef-push-keep-african-schools-open-during-pandemic
Botswana:
Botswana’s parliament voted Monday to extend by a further six months a state of emergency imposed to fight the coronavirus. The move comes despite objections from opposition parties. The extension means President Mokgweetsi Masisi will continue to rule by decree until March 2021, a full year since the pandemic hit Africa.
Source: https://www.voanews.com/africa/botswana-parliament-votes-extend-covid-emergency-march
Malawi:
Malawi: Low levels of COVID-19 continue
Source: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/malawi-low-levels-of-covid-19-continue/1989489
For the past few days, Malawi has been registering few new cases of COVID-19 and deaths, somehow, the development has caused negligence in observing preventative measures among many people in the country.
Mozambique:
Mozambique lifted its state if emergency following a decrease in infection rates of Covid-19.
Source: https://www.africanews.com/2020/09/05/covid-19-mozambique-to-lift-state-of-emergency-//
COVID 19 in Mozambique: A team effort to ease the economic hardship on families