Cameroon has recorded 27 new cases of COVID-19 as May 4th 2020. The figures were announced by officials of the Ministry of public health, who say the decision of the government for drinking spots and restaurants to open beyond 6 PM is attracting more positive reaction from the field.
The government of Cameroon has received material and financial assistance from from the United Nations Development Program and the the World Bank to fight COVID-19. According to the Ministry of Public Health, the support mainly in the form of material is destined to assist medical personnel in the fight against COVID-19.
The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a US$226 million disbursement to Cameroon, to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic shock suffered by the Country. The decision was taken May 4th 2020.
The Archbishop if the Metropolitan diocese of Douala has distanced himself from a supposed composition of items he uses to produce COVID-19 cure. In a note, Archbishop Samuel Kleda says he has not made public the list of items he uses to produce the cure.
Dr. Eric Tandi of the Ministry of Public Health has warned that coronavirus might spread to many people in Cameroon if Cameroonians don’t take seriously preventive measures like; constant wearing of face masks in public places, washing of hands with soap, and maintaining social distancing.
Newspaper publishers in Cameroon disagree over how government is handling media organs. Today, while some newspapers observed a no press day, others like ‘The Horizon’ newspaper published arguing that government is making considerable efforts to assist the press.
Some people in Bafut- North West region of Cameroon have applauded military attack of separatist fighters at the weekend in the village. They attest that the boys have been a source of threat and intimidation to the locals. Meantime some say military men equally killed innocent civilians in the process.
Cameroon Medical Doctors MEDCAMER, Cameroon National Syndicate of medical doctors of the private Sector SYNAMEC and the Network of District Medical Officials in Cameroon have strongly condemned the violence perpetrated by a family against Dr EYOUM Federic at the CEBEB hospital in Bonaberi -Douala IV Sub Division on April 19th 2020. According to the medical officials, the respect of the physical integrity of medical personnel is an inalienable right and should be respected by all. While warning against any such act in future in Cameroon, the health officials said health personnel undertake enormous risks everyday to save lives, and should not be attacked or handled violently.
The government of Cameroon is to recruit over 3200 basic education teachers. The Minister of Basic Education, Laurent Serge Etoudi Ngoa announced that today. He notes that each government primary school with at least 100 pupils should have three government teachers.
Uneasy calm reigns in the Nkolmintag neighbourhood of Douala II Sub Division following a violent confrontation last night.
Youths of Nkolmintag accused inhabitants originating from the Northern regions of Cameroon, of being behind armed robbery attacks, aggressions and related insecurity in the neighbourhood.
Furious, they came out to chase out Northerners from Nkolmintag, resulting in a violent confrontation.
Fomer UPC MP Robert Bapooh Lipot is the new Board Chairperson of Cameroon Debt Recovery. Robert Bapooh Lipot heads the Corporation better known in french as SRC.
He was voted few days after he was appointed member of the Corporation by a Presidential degree. He was chosen during an extraordinary board meeting this Monday May 4th in Yaounde. It was presided over by the Minister of Finance, Louis Paul Motaze. He takes over from Joseph Owona, appointed member of the Constitutional Council last April 15th.
Days after a military raid in Bafut, soldiers have been accused of gang raping an old lady. Resident in Mankwi, one of the areas invaded by the soldiers, the victim says she was raped by two military men who got into her house during one of their operations as they moved from one house to another. She only got to a hospital over 24 hours after the incident.
Sixty five workers at Canal 2 International have been sent on technical leave by the administration. Sources say they were told that the financial situation is not the best and will be called to work as soon as the situation improves. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies have been struggling under the weight of the economic pressure caused by lockdown.
The mayor of Somalia’s capital Mogadishu says the city has seen an unusual number of deaths recently and warns the country is still drastically under-counting cases of coronavirus. In just over two weeks, confirmed cases of coronavirus in Somalia have nearly tripled, spreading to every state in the country. The Somali Federal Government has reported 722 people infected by coronavirus, with 32 dead. But in a weekend press conference Mogadishu Mayor Omar Filish said that the city’s health authorities have recorded over 500 deaths across the city in just the past two weeks. He said the number was well above normal and he believed most were related to coronavirus.
The government in Nigeria’s most populous state Kano has relaxed the total lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus beginning on Monday. Supermarkets and some fruit and vegetable markets are allowed to open from 10:00 to 16:00 on Mondays and Thursdays to allow people to buy food and other basic necessities, according to a government statement. The state has seen unexplained deaths in recent weeks with some reports saying hundreds of people have lost their lives. It is not clear whether the deaths are directly linked to coronavirus. A presidential committee consisting of health experts deployed to the state says the causes of the deaths are being investigated. But the state has seen a rise in the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19. The easing of the lockdown in Kano comes as the capital Abuja, as well as commercial hub Lagos and Ogun state also relax their lockdown measures.
The authorities in south-west Nigeria’s Osun State have arrested 27 illegal miners, including 17 Chinese nationals and a local traditional ruler. A government official said they would all be prosecuted and made to pay for the environmental damage they had caused. Thousands of people work in informal mines across Nigeria which has significant mineral deposits including gold. Correspondents say successive governments have failed to regulate the sector as they have focused on the oil industry. Last year the authorities banned much of the gold mining activity in Zamfara State over concerns that it was linked to an escalation of violence and kidnapping in the region.
The Director of Tanzania’s National Health Laboratory and its quality manager have both been suspended pending investigation. The suspension of the top officials comes a day after President John Magufuli questioned the credibility of coronavirus testing kits being used by the lab. In a live broadcast from his hometown of Chato in north-western Tanzania yesterday, Mr Magufuli revealed that he secretly commissioned testing of randomly collected non-human samples, which were assigned names and ages. He said some samples taken from animals and fruits returned inconclusive results, some testing negative and others showing positive results.
People in Uganda have contributed a total of about $6m (£4.8m) to help the government finance the provision of cars and medical supplies, to support efforts to fight coronavirus. Many African countries have weak and underfunded health systems but Uganda is relying on preventing the spread of the pandemic by drawing on lessons learned from containing outbreaks like Ebola. Covid-19 threatens not only people’s health, but the national lockdown has caused food insecurity and that shortage of basic supplies prompted ordinary Ugandans to start giving food donations. The efforts to provide food were commended by President Yoweri Museveni which then encouraged donations of money, vehicles and medical equipment such as protective clothing needed by doctors and nurses.
Rwanda has loosened restrictions after 45 days of coronavirus lockdown, even though a nationwide night-time curfew will be enforced and movement in and out of the capital, Kigali, is prohibited. On Monday, roads in Kigali were busy again, in a city considered to be a hotspot for infections. People are adhering to mandatory mask wearing and social distancing. Many are happy that normal life has resumed but there is discontent that fares in public transport have been hiked after buses were ordered to carry half of their capacity to ensure social distancing.
A coronavirus mass testing campaign by Kenya’s health ministry has recorded a low turnout after encountering unwillingness among members of the public. The government had targeted to test thousands of people in two hotspots in the capital, Nairobi, but only hundreds turned up. Most of those who spoke to local media said they fear exhibiting symptoms during the procedure, and being taken to quarantine centres where they will incur costs for their upkeep. Health ministry official Rashid Aman on Sunday said the tests are free of charge. He defended the quarantining of those who test positive yet displayed no symptoms, saying they needed to be isolated so as not to transmit the virus.
East Africa’s Lake Victoria, the continent’s largest freshwater lake, has seen its shores rise to record levels, submerging businesses, homes and threatening thousands of lives and livelihoods. In Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania the rising waters have forced families to abandon their flooded homes. In Budalangi, Western Kenya, dozens of families have been left stranded on the swollen shores. Rising water continues to consume the remaining roads and bridges – some now have to cross to safety in wooden dugout canoes, while others carry household items on their heads as they wade through knee-deep water. Dr Ally-Said Matano of the Lake Victoria Basin Commission said that beyond displacement, the surging water levels also present a massive health risk.
(Foreign news: BBC)
