Following
the guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) with important
combating strategies to avoid the spread of coronavirus, six countries in
Africa are still having edge over the pandemic as they are yet to contract the
virulent virus declared pandemic since 11 March 2020 by the WHO.
These
surviving countries which are neither the richest nor poorest in Africa
including Lesotho, Malawi, Sao Tome, Principe, Burundi and South Sudan.
Botswana and Sierra Leone couldn’t further hold the fort any longer as the two
countries bowed down as Botswana recorded her first 3 cases on 29 March and
Sierra Leone 1 case on 30 March respectively.
The
six countries’ preparedness for the emergence covid-19 reached the peak
immediately since it was declared pandemic by the World Health Organization
thereby Sao Tome and Principe on 4 March decided and prohibited people from
eight infected countries - Italy, China, Nigeria, Iran, Algeria, South Korea
and Senegal entry into the country.
Meanwhile,
in Burundi apart from government decision of 31 January to quarantine ‘people
suspected of having contracted coronavirus,’ on 12 March, the country’s
international airport was first closed for a period of seven days as part of
series of measures to prevent coronavirus pandemic entry into the country.
On
March 17, the President of South Sudan ordered self-quarantine of all senior
government officials who just arrived from countries with confirmed infections
and transmission of the pandemic, postponed all gatherings. More so, it placed
travel ban on all his newly appointed ministers to prevent them from
contracting and spreading coronavirus, while new order was issued for diplomats
returning to the country from travel.
In
Malawi, the President declared a state of disaster. He banned public gatherings
and ordered closure of schools, restricted public gatherings, ordered the
national security apparatus into action to enforce the restrictions.
In
one of The Gambia’s neighbouring countries, Sierra Leone who once suffered from
the Ebola virus epidemic did everything possible to avoid importing and
contracting covid-19 pandemic before the virus’ final penetration, Monday, 30
March.
In
their combat efforts, the government of Sierra Leone prior to 25 March,
declared a 12-month public health emergency to tackle the coronavirus pandemic
as the President announced that it “is not a lockdown and should not be used as
an excuse to hoard goods or hike prices.”
Meanwhile,
in spite of The Gambia having recorded four cases - one death with three active
cases, the government, Thursday, 19 March further suspended flights from 13
countries with immediate effect until further notice.
In
addition to this step taken to combat the spread of the deadly virus,
individuals (Gambians & non-Gambians) travelling from 47 countries in Asia,
Europe and the Americas to The Gambia will undergo mandatory quarantine for 14
days.
Presently,
coronavirus pandemic has penetrated 200 plus countries with over 800,000 cases
worldwide, 39,000 deaths and over 170,000 recovered.
