COVID-19 pandemic in Africa


The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have spread to Africa on 14 February 2020. The first confirmed case was in Egypt, and the first confirmed case in sub-Saharan Africa was in Nigeria. Most of the identified imported cases arrived from Europe and the United States rather than from China where the virus originated. It is believed that there is widespread under-reporting in many African countries with less developed healthcare systems.
Experts have worried about COVID-19 spreading to Africa, because many of the healthcare systems on the continent are inadequate, having problems such as lack of equipment, lack of funding, insufficient training of healthcare workers, and inefficient data transmission. It was feared that the pandemic could be difficult to keep under control in Africa, and could cause huge economic problems if it spread widely. As of April 18, 2020, the supply of ventilators was low in much of Africa: 41 countries had only 2,000 ventilators between them, and ten countries had no ventilators at all. Even basic supplies like soap and water are subject to shortages in parts of the continent.
Matshidiso Moeti of the World Health Organization said that hand washing and physical distancing could be challenging in some places in Africa. Lockdown may not be possible, and challenges may be exacerbated by the prevalence of diseases such as malaria, AIDS, tuberculosis, and cholera. Advisers say that a strategy based on testing could allow African countries to minimise lockdowns that inflict enormous hardship on those who depend on income earned per day to be able to feed themselves and their families. Despite this, there is an increased risk of famine in several African nations. Even in the best scenario, the United Nations says 74 million test kits and 30,000 ventilators will be needed by the continent's 1.3 billion people in 2020. The World Health Organization helped many countries on the continent set up laboratories for COVID-19 testing. Matshidiso Moeti of the WHO said: "We need to test, trace, isolate and treat". Many preventive measures have been implemented in different countries in Africa, including travel restrictions, flight cancellations, event cancellations, school closures, and border closures. Experts say that experience battling Ebola helped some countries prepare for COVID-19.
On 13 May 2020, Lesotho became the last African sovereign state to report a case of COVID-19; there are no reported cases in British Indian Ocean Territory, French Southern Territories and Saint Helena.
By 26 May, more than half of all African countries were experiencing community transmission, although testing capacity remains limited.
By the second week of June, Africa had surpassed 200,000 cases in total. The number of confirmed new cases is accelerating, with the continent having taken 98 days to record the first 100,000 cases, and 18 days for the second 100,000. The pace of acceleration has continued, with cases passing both the 300,000 and 400,000 marks on 6 July. On 8 July 2020, cases had exceeded half a million.
Five countries make up over 70% of the total confirmed cases: South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana and Algeria.
In July 2020, it was reported that Africa may become the next epicentre of the pandemic and that half of the 500,000 cases reported in the continent are from South Africa or Egypt. Ten countries account for 80% of the reported cases.
On 20 July 2020, the World Health Organization voiced alarm at the spread in Africa, stating that South Africa's surging numbers could be a precursor for further outbreaks across the continent.

Statistics

Total confirmed cases by country

Daily cases for the most infected African countries:
Total confirmed cases since Day 1 of Outbreak

Confirmed cases by country and territory

CountryConfirmed casesActive confirmed casesRecoveriesDeathsRef.
South Africa503,290152,676342,4618,153
Egypt94,31648,34541,1374,834
Nigeria43,15122,70719,565879
Ghana35,5013,22332,096182
Algeria30,9508,73920,9881,223
Morocco25,0156,68817,960367
Kenya21,36312,5808,419364
Ethiopia17,99910,5207,195274
Cameroon17,2551,54415,320391
Ivory Coast16,1094,25711,750102
Sudan11,7384,8496,137752
Madagascar11,2733,0578,109107
Senegal10,2843,2536,822209
Democratic Republic of the Congo9,0841,8397,030215
Gabon7,3522,3604,94349
Guinea7,3088046,45846
Mauritania6,3191,1195,043157
Zambia6,2281,9334,130165
Djibouti5,084274,99958
Equatorial Guinea4,8212,5562,18283
Central African Republic4,6142,9201,63559
Malawi4,0782,0891,875114
Libya3,6212,92961874
Somalia3,2121,5571,56293
Republic of the Congo3,2002,31782954
Zimbabwe3,1692,0981,00467
Mayotte2,9622022,72139
Eswatini2,7061,4491,21443
Mali2,5354741,937124
Cape Verde2,4806191,83724
South Sudan2,3521,1311,17546
Namibia2,2242,04217111
Rwanda2,0229111,1065
Guinea-Bissau1,9811,15280326
Mozambique1,8641,20764512
Sierra Leone1,8233941,36267
Benin1,8057331,03635
Tunisia1,5522841,21751
Liberia1,18944167375
Uganda1,1761271,0454
Angola1,16465046054
Burkina Faso1,14315593553
Niger1,134371,02869
Togo94128164119
Chad9364881375
São Tomé and Príncipe8747778215
Botswana804739632
Lesotho70251717114
Réunion664685923
Tanzania50930518321
Gambia498421689
Burundi395903041
Comoros386493307
Mauritius344233210
Eritrea279542250
Seychelles11475390
Western Sahara10181
Total946,010321,784604,22220,044

Algeria

The first case in the country was confirmed on 25 February. On the morning of 2 March, Algeria confirmed two new cases of the coronavirus, a woman and her daughter.
On 3 March, Algeria reported another two new cases of the coronavirus. The two new cases were from the same family, a father and daughter, and were living in France.
On 4 March, the Ministry of Health recorded 4 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus, all from the same family, bringing the total number to 12 confirmed cases.
According to WHO prediction modelling estimates Algeria faces a relatively high risk for a spread of COVID-19 if containment measures such as contact tracing are not prioritized.

Angola

On 21 March, the first two cases in the country were confirmed. Effective 20 March, all Angolan borders have been closed for 15 days.
As of 18 April 2020, there was a total of 19 confirmed cases, 2 deaths and 6 recovered cases.

Benin

On 16 March, the first case in the country was confirmed.
As of 18 April 2020, there was a total of 35 confirmed cases, 1 death and 18 recovered cases.

Botswana

On 30 March, the first three cases in Botswana were confirmed.

Burkina Faso

On 9 March, the first two cases in the country were reported in Burkina Faso.
On 13 March, the third case was also confirmed, a person who had had direct contact with the first two cases.
As of March 14, 2020, a total of 7 cases have been confirmed in the country. 5 of the new confirmed cases had had direct contact with the first two cases. 1 is an English national employed at a gold mine in the country who vacationed in Liverpool and came back on March 10, transiting through Vancouver and Paris.
As of 18 April 2020 there was a total of 557 confirmed cases, 35 deaths and 294 recovered cases.

Burundi

On 31 March, the first two cases in the country were confirmed. The President of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza, died during the pandemic; officially he died of a heart attack, but it is speculated that he may have died from COVID-19 with members of his family also reported to have contracted the disease.

Cameroon

On 6 March the first case was confirmed in Cameroon. According to WHO prediction modelling estimates Cameroon faces a relatively high risk for a spread of COVID-19 if containment measures such as contact tracing are not prioritized.

Cape Verde

On 20 March, the first case in the country was confirmed, a 62 year old from the United Kingdom.

Central African Republic

On 14 March, the first case in the country was confirmed.

Chad

On 19 March, the first case in the country was confirmed.

Comoros

As a preventative measure, arriving travellers were to be quarantined for 14 days upon arrival. In order to prevent the spread of the virus, the government has cancelled all incoming flights and banned large gatherings. On 15 April 2020, a person arriving in Mayotte from the Comoros tested positive for COVID-19.
On 30 April, the first case was confirmed in the Comoros. On 4 May, the first death was announced. 54 people had been tested, and 53 contacts had been traced.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

On 10 March, the first case was reported in the country.

Republic of the Congo

The country's first case was announced on 14 March, a 50-year-old man who had returned to the Republic of the Congo from Paris, France.

Djibouti

On 18 March, the first case in Djibouti was confirmed.

Egypt

Egypt's health ministry announced the first case in the country at Cairo International Airport involving a Chinese national on 14 February.
On 6 March, the Egyptian Health Ministry and WHO confirmed 12 new cases of coronavirus infection. The infected persons were among the Egyptian staff aboard the Nile cruise ship MS River Anuket, which was travelling from Aswan to Luxor. On 7 March 2020, health authorities announced that 45 people on board had tested positive, and that the ship had been placed in quarantine at a dock in Luxor.

Equatorial Guinea

On 14 March, the first case in the country was confirmed.

Eritrea

On 20 March, the first case in Eritrea was confirmed.

Eswatini

On 14 March, the first case in the country was confirmed.

Ethiopia

The country's first case was announced on 13 March, a Japanese man who had arrived in the country on 4 March from Burkina Faso. Three additional cases of the virus were reported on March 15. The three individuals had close contact with the person who was reported to be infected by the virus on 13 March. Since then eight more confirmed cases were reported by the health ministry to the public, bringing the total to twelve. Among the infected individuals an elderly Ethiopian in her eighties has been said to have some escalating symptoms while other eight have been on a recovery route and showing fewer symptoms of the disease. On March 27, another statement was issued by the health minister stating that four additional cases have been identified while one case being in the Adama city of the Oromia regional state and the other three being in Addis Ababa. Moreover, three more cases were confirmed by the Health Minister on March 31, 2020. Similarly, the following day another three cases were added. On the previous press release the government authorities had noted that one case was retested and confirmed negative and two of the confirmed cases have been sent to their country. In aggregate, twenty-nine cases are confirmed so far as of 1 April 2020. On April 3, 2020 due to further tests made, six additional cases have been discovered moving up the tally to thirty-five. Measures are being taken by the government and the community together strictly to suppress the further spreading of this deadly virus. Among the six cases identified there were individuals with no traveling history recently, that has made it alarming to the public.
On 4 April, three additional cases of the virus were reported. All of the cases were from Addis Ababa. Two of the patients, a 29-year-old and a 34-year-old male Ethiopians, had travel histories to Dubai on different dates. The third case is of a 35-year-old female Ethiopian who had arrived from Sweden on 3 April. On the same date, one additional recovery was reported, increasing the total number of recoveries to 4.
On 5 April, five more positive cases of the virus were reported. Three of them are Ethiopians. The other two are Libyan and Eritrean nationals.. There are 43 total cases as of April 5, 2020. On April 7 more individuals detected and totally 54. Among 200+ tests conducted on April 8, 2020, one additional case has been added to the tally making it 55. With the current situation indicating the spread of the virus Ethiopia has declared a state of emergency.
As of April 17, the total cases reported were 92 of which three patients have died and fifteen have recovered. Ethiopia has tested more than 5,000 citizens since the first case was reported.
Tilahun Woldemichael, an Ethiopian Orthodox monk who is said to be 114 years old, was released from the hospital on 25 June after being treated with oxygen and dexamethasone for coronavirus. Ethiopia has 5,200 confirmed cases.

Territories of France

Mayotte

The first case of the COVID-19 pandemic in the French overseas department and region of Mayotte was reported on 13 March 2020. On 31 March the first person died of COVID-19.

Réunion

The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached the French overseas department and region of Réunion on 11 March 2020.

Gabon

The country's first case was announced on 12 March, a 27 year old Gabonese man who returned to Gabon from France 4 days prior to confirmation of the coronavirus.

The Gambia

The Gambia reported its first case of coronavirus from a 20-year-old woman who returned from the United Kingdom on 17 March.

Ghana

Ghana reported its first two cases on 12 March. The two cases were people who came back to the country from Norway and Turkey, with the contact tracing process beginning.
On 11 March, the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, made the cedi equivalent of $100 million available to enhance Ghana's coronavirus preparedness and response plan.

Guinea

On 13 March, Guinea confirmed its first case, an employee of the European Union delegation in Guinea.
A mosque was forcefully opened by faithful in Dubréka in May.

Guinea-Bissau

On 25 March, Guinea-Bissau confirmed its first two COVID-19 cases, a Congolese U.N. employee and an Indian citizen.

Territories of Italy

Lampedusa e Linosa

Ivory Coast

On 11 March, the first case in the country was confirmed.

Kenya

On 12 March 2020, the first case was confirmed in Kenya by President Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta.
On 13 March, the first case in Kenya was confirmed, a woman who came from the US via London.
On 15 March 2020, further restrictions were ordered, including closing of schools, banning of all social gatherings including religious gatherings, and banning of all flights banned effective 25 March.

Lesotho

On 13 May, the first case in Lesotho was confirmed.
The country recorded its first death on 9 July.

Liberia

On 16 March, the first case in Liberia was confirmed.
Churches and mosques were allowed to reopen as of May 17.

Libya

On 17 March, in order to prevent the spread of the virus, the UN-recognised Government of National Accord closed the country's borders, suspended flights for three weeks and banned foreign nationals from entering the country; schools, cafes, mosques and public gatherings have also been closed.
On 24 March, the first case in Libya was confirmed.

Madagascar

On 20 March, the three first cases were confirmed in Madagascar. All were women. Madagascar had a total 225 confirmed coronavirus cases, 98 recoveries, and no deaths as of 8 May 2020.
Madagascar's plant-based "cure" called COVID-19 Organics is being pushed despite warnings from the World Health Organisation that its efficacy is unproven. Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, and Guinea Bissau have all already received thousands of doses of COVID-19 Organics free of charge.

Malawi

On 2 April, the three first cases were confirmed in Malawi.

Mali

On 25 March, the two first cases were confirmed in Mali.

Mauritania

On 13 March, the first case in the country was confirmed.
By 18 April 2020, there had been 7 confirmed cases in the country, 6 of whom recovered, and one died making Mauritania at the time the only affected country in Africa and in the world to become free of COVID-19.
A further case was confirmed on the 29th of April.

Mauritius

Since the first three cases of COVID-19 were confirmed on 18 March 2020, the Mauritian authorities have been conducting 'Contact tracing': people who have been in contact with infected patients have been placed under quarantine, including doctors, nurses and police officers. No cases have been reported in Rodrigues, Agaléga and St. Brandon. On 1 May 2020, the Prime Minister announced that the ongoing COVID-19 curfew will be extended to 1 June 2020 and schools will remain closed till 1 August 2020. As from 15 May 2020, more businesses will be allowed to operate, namely bakeries, hardware stores and fish markets and the opening hours of supermarkets will be extended to 20 00 hrs. Banks will continue to operate under strict hygiene protocol.
On 13 May 2020, the government elaborated strict guidelines and regulations that both commuters and public transport operators will have to adhere to. These guidelines and regulations were in line with Government's strategy to ensure that there is no risk of the propagation of COVID-19 as the country gradually prepares itself to allow certain economic activities to resume as from 15 May 2020. On 15 May 2020, Mauritius embarks on the first phase of easing its lockdown protocol.

Morocco

On 2 March, Morocco recorded its first case of COVID-19. It was a Moroccan national residing in Italy who had returned to Morocco.

Mozambique

The country's first case was announced on 22 March, a 75-year-old man who returned from the United Kingdom.

Namibia

On 14 March, the first two cases in the country were confirmed. In a first reaction by government air travel to and from Qatar, Ethiopia and Germany was suspended for 30 days. All public and private schools were closed for a month, and gatherings were restricted to fewer than 50 people. This included celebrations for the 30th anniversary of Namibian independence that took place on 21 March. Libraries, museums, and art galleries were also closed.
On 17 March, President Hage Geingob declared a state of emergency as a legal basis to restrict fundamental rights, e.g. to freely move and assemble, guaranteed by the Constitution.
By 25 March 2020 the total number of cases reached seven, of which one is thought to be a local transmission. A 21-day lockdown of the regions of Erongo and Khomas was announced for 27 March with inter-regional travel forbidden, excluding the commuter towns of Okahandja and Rehoboth. Parliament sessions were suspended for the same period, and bars and markets were closed. On 14 April this lockdown was extended for another 2 weeks ending 4 May, now encompassing all regions, although the stay-at-home order was already enforced countrywide.
After 5 April 2020, when 16 cases were identified, no new infections occurred until the end of April. Government subsequently eased the restrictions as from 5 May.
The country recorded its first death on 10 July.

Niger

Niger confirmed its first case on 19 March 2020.

Nigeria

On 27 February, Nigeria confirmed its first case, the first case of coronavirus in sub-Saharan Africa. An Italian citizen who works in Nigeria had returned on 25 February from Milan, Italy through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, fell ill on 26 February and was transferred to Lagos State Biosecurity Facilities for isolation and testing. The test was confirmed positive by the Virology Laboratory of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, part of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. He was transferred to the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, Lagos. On 28 February, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health announced that the Italian man had travelled on Turkish Airlines with a brief transit at Istanbul. As of 6 March, a total of 219 primary and secondary contacts of the index case had been identified and were being actively monitored.

Lock-down measures

The Federal government of Nigeria has instructed institutions to shut down for 30 days as a lockdown measure to limit the spread of COVID-19. It has also banned public gatherings. The state government of Lagos has asked schools to close and banned public gatherings of more than 50 people, particularly religious gatherings There was no order from government to shutdown markets and club halls.
Several schools in Nigeria have shut down, following the directives of the federal government at Abuja. This led the Management of one of the most populated schools in Nigeria, the Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri to declare an emergency holidays a precaution against COVID-19, stating that the emergency holiday will last for 30 days. The institution had already fixed the dates for the 2019/2020 academic year examinations.
There is widespread tension and anxiety in cities across Nigeria as students return to their various homes for fear of contracting COVID-19.

High-profile individuals with COVID-19

Reports have shown that some high-profile individuals in Nigeria have tested positive for coronavirus. The Nigeria's high profiled persons that have tested positive for COVID-19 are: Buhari's chief of staff, Abba Kyari, Bauchi State governor, Bala Muhammed.
As Muhammadu Buhari's closest staff, Nigerians suspected that the president would have the virus as his chief of staff tested positive. Meanwhile, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control reported that president Buhari tested negative after the test was carried out on him.
In Nigeria, there are fears everywhere that the chief of staff, Abba Kyari who has tested positive for the coronavirus may have transmitted it to more people including governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi, minister of information, Lai Mohammed, special assistant to the president on media, Garba Shehu; minister of special duties, George Akume; minister of state for FCT, Ramatu Tijani; Geoffrey Onyeama, and other dignitaries and visitors at the prayers held on March 17, 2020, for the deceased mother of the Kogi State governor.
The governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello was tested positive for coronavirus. Others from the list who met with Abba Kyari are still under examination to be ascertained if they are negative or positive to the virus.

Territories of Portugal

Madeira

Rwanda

On 14 March, the first case in the country was confirmed.
In an interview with the Financial Times on 20 April, President Paul Kagame said he believes it will cost $100 billion and an entire generation for Africa to recuperate from the pandemic.

São Tomé and Príncipe

On 6 April, the first four cases in the country were confirmed. The first death was recorded on 30 April.

Senegal

On 2 March, the first case in the country was confirmed.
Mosques are allowed to reopen for Ramadan despite 2,000 confirmed cases of the virus.

Seychelles

Seychelles reported its first two cases on 14 March. The two cases were people who were in contact with someone in Italy who tested positive.

Sierra Leone

On 16 March, the government banned public officials from travelling abroad, and urged citizens to avoid foreign travel. Quarantine measures were put in place for all visitors arriving from countries with more than 50 cases. Public gatherings of more than 100 people were also banned. On 24 March, President Julius Maada Bio announced a year-long 'state of emergency' in order to deal with a potential outbreak.
The president of Sierra Leone confirmed the country's first case of coronavirus on 31 March, a person who traveled from France on 16 March and had been in isolation since.

Somalia

On 16 March, the first case in Somalia was confirmed. Somalia's Health Ministry reported that this was a Somali citizen returning home from China.

Somaliland

On 31 March, the first two cases in Somaliland were confirmed. The two cases were a Somaliland citizen and a Chinese national.

South Africa

On 5 March 2020 the first confirmed case was announced, a South African returning from Italy On 15 March, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a national state of disaster and a national lockdown started on 26 March. From 1 May, a gradual and phased easing of the lockdown restrictions started, lowering the national alert level to 4, to be lowered to level 3 from 1 June.
According to WHO prediction modelling estimates South Africa faces a relatively high risk for a spread of COVID-19 if containment measures, including contact tracing, are not prioritized. The country is projected to have to COVID-19 deaths by November 2020.
South Africa's infections doubled to 250,000 in the first two weeks of July as public hospitals report shortages of medical oxygen. Treatment of coronavirus patients in South Africa is seen the most unequal in the world.

South Sudan

On 5 April, the first case was confirmed.
Two cases COVID-19 were confirmed on 13 May in a crowded civilian protection camp in Juba. The camp houses 30,000 people.

Territories of Spain

Canary Islands

The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached the Canary Islands on 31 January 2020.

Ceuta

The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached in Ceuta on 13 March 2020.

Melilla

The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached in Melilla on 10 March 2020.

Sudan

The country's first case was announced on 13 March, a man who had died in Khartoum the previous day. He had visited the United Arab Emirates in the first week of March.
By 29 May, a surge of reported deaths in North Darfur raised fears of a serious outbreak in the region, although testing remains poor.

Tanzania

On 16 March, the first case was confirmed. Tanzanian authorities stopped reporting case numbers in May.

Togo

On 6 March, the first case in the country was confirmed.

Tunisia

On 2 March, the first case in the country was confirmed.

Uganda

On 20 March, the first case in Uganda was confirmed.
The first confirmed death was on 24 July.

Western Sahara

On 4 April, the first four cases in Moroccan-controlled part of Western Sahara were confirmed. Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic remains free of coronavirus.

Zambia

Zambia reported its first 2 cases of COVID-19 on 18 March. The patients were a couple that had travelled to France on holiday. A third case was recorded on 22 March. The patient was a man who had travelled to Pakistan.
On March 25, President Edgar Lungu confirmed a total of 12 cases. He also announced measures which includes suspension of international flights Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe, Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula and Mfuwe International Airports and re-routing of all international flights to Kenneth Kaunda International Airport to facilitate screening of incoming passengers and mandatory quarantine where necessary, closure of all bars, nightclubs, casinos, cinemas and gyms and restriction of all public gatherings to 50 people or less.
By 17 March, the government had shut all educational institutions and put in place some restrictions on foreign travel.

Zimbabwe

Before there were any confirmed cases in the country, President Emmerson Mnangagwa had declared a national emergency, putting in place travel restrictions and banning large gatherings. The country's defence minister Oppah Muchinguri caused controversy by stating the coronavirus could be a divine punishment on Western nations for imposing sanctions on Zimbabwe.
Its first case was reported on 21 March: it was a male resident of Victoria Falls who travelled from the United Kingdom via South Africa on 15 March.
Police report that 105,000 have been arrested for violating health measures between March and July, including 1,000 arrests for not wearing facemasks on July 18 and 19.

Suspected cases

Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

On 16 March three people who arrived by air to Ascension Island showed symptoms of COVID-19. However, on 23 March it was announced that they had tested negative on 22 March
On 17 March all travel by air to the Saint Helena island was banned, except for island citizens or residents and similar cases. There were no known cases on Saint Helena at this time.
On 16 March as a precaution the Tristan da Cunha Island Council on Tristan da Cunha made the decision to ban visitors to the island to prevent the potential transmission of the disease to islanders.

Prevention in other territories

British Indian Ocean Territory

As of 5 May there have been no cases in the British territory. Access to the islands, already heavily restricted due to the presence of a military base on Diego Garcia, have been further curtailed, with licenses for visiting vessels suspended.
All people arriving into the territory are subject to a 14-day quarantine; social distancing measures have also been enacted.