ADDIS
ABABA, Ethiopia
A first
planeload of protective and medical equipment donated to Africa by Chinese
billionaire and Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma to help it fight the coronavirus
arrived in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Sunday.
So far, the continent of 1.3 billion people has
registered only around 1,100 cases spread across 43 countries, with 39 deaths.
While that is a tiny fraction of the more than 305,000 people infected and more
than 13,000 deaths worldwide, there are concerns that Africa’s relatively poor
health infrastructure means it will not cope if the virus becomes established.
“The flight carried 5.4 million face masks, kits
for 1.08 million detection tests, 40,000 sets of protective clothing and 60,000
sets of protective face shields,” Ma’s foundation said in a statement. “The
faster we move, the earlier we can help.”
It said the supplies would be distributed across
Africa, going first to countries that were particularly vulnerable to the
pandemic.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed tweeted that
distribution would start on Monday.
Health Minister Lia Tadesse said testing for the
virus was one of the most important tools for controlling the outbreak.
For several days, governments across the continent
have been imposing tough measures to restrict travel and close public spaces.
The World Health Organisation is planning to help countries set up pop-up
hospitals that could be equipped with oxygen and ventilators.
Part of Africa’s battle to stop the virus from
taking hold could be fought in the churches when many of its more than 600
million Christians go to pray.
Kenya, which has 15 confirmed cases, on Sunday
banned all religious and social gatherings, limited the number of mourners at
funerals to 15, and ordered all nightclubs and bars to close indefinitely.
Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe told a news conference
on Sunday that all international passenger flights would be banned from
Wednesday.
He said a county official who had flouted
quarantine rules and tested positive would be charged once his quarantine
ended.
“Kenyans must treat this matter with the
seriousness it deserves,” he said. “In the coming week, you will be witnessing
more enforcement measures.”
Mozambique’s health ministry on Sunday confirmed
its first case of coronavirus - a 75-year-old man who had recently returned
from Britain. Both Madagascar and Liberia declared national health emergencies
over the epidemic this weekend.
In Burkina Faso, U.S. Ambassador Andrew Young said
he had tested positive for coronavirus in a post on Twitter.The country is the
worst-affected so far in West Africa, with 75 confirmed cases, including four
government ministers.
Somalia said on Sunday it had reopened its
international airport for two days to allow its citizens to return from 14
countries affected by coronavirus.
“We shall quarantine them when they arrive, near
the airport. Their shelter, beds and food have been readied,” a
government spokesman said. - Reuters
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