An Ethiopian Airlines worker transports a consignment of medical donation from Chinese billionaire Jack Ma and Alibaba Foundation to Africa for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing, upon arrival at the Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 22, 2020. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri
March 22, 2020
By Dawit Endeshaw and Giulia Paravicini
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – 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 1,100 cases – less than 0.3% of the world’s total – spread across 41 countries. There have been 37 deaths. But there are fears that relatively poor health infrastructure means Africa 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 Organization is planning to help countries set up pop-up hospitals that could be equipped with oxygen and ventilators.
CHURCHES
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 – some of whom were reluctant on Sunday to give up their communal worship.
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, by adjusting and changing their lifestyles,” he said. “In the coming week, you will be witnessing more enforcement measures.”
Madagascar declared a 15-day health emergency on Saturday evening.
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.
(Reporting by Dawit Endeshaw and Giulia Paravicini; Additional reporting by George Obulutsa and Humphrey Malalo in Nairobi, Abdi Sheikh in Mogadishu and Lovasoa Rabary in Antananarivo; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
