National responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa
Africa's first confirmed case of COVID-19 was announced in Egypt on 14 February 2020.[1][2] Many preventive measures have been implemented in different countries in Africa, including travel restrictions, flight cancellations, event cancellations,[3] school closures, and border closures.[4] Other measures to contain and limit the spread of the virus has included curfews, lockdowns, and enforcing the wearing of face masks. The virus has spread throughout the continent. Lesotho, the last African sovereign state to have remained free of the virus, reported a case on 13 May 2020.[5][6]
This article is about African government responses to the outbreak. For information on the status of the outbreak in Africa, see COVID-19 pandemic in Africa.Prevention in other territories[edit]
British Indian Ocean Territory[edit]
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.[180]
All people arriving into the territory are subject to a 14-day quarantine; social distancing measures have also been enacted.[181]
As a financial response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ghana initiated the Ghana COVID-19 Private Sector Fund which funded projects such as catering basic needs of Kayayei(head porters) amid the pandemic[182]
as well as the construction of the Ghana Infectious Disease Centre.[183][184]
The government of Kenya implemented economic measures to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This included:[117]
In Nigeria, the Coalition Against COVID-19 was launched on 26 March 2020, following an announcement made by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.[185][186] The purpose of the relief fund is to "support the Federal government of Nigeria in containing the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria; to ensure patients get the care they need and frontline workers get essential supplies and equipments; and to accelerate efforts to provide tests and treatments."[187][188] Major companies, including Dangote Group, Access Bank and MTN have donated to the CACOVID Relief Fund, in addition to several private organizations and individuals.[189][190][191][192][193]
On 15 March, King Mohammed VI announced the creation of an emergency fund (labelled as Fonds spécial pour la gestion de la pandémie du Coronavirus (Covid-19)) in order to upgrade health infrastructure and support the worst affected economic sectors as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Morocco. The fund has a volume of 10 billion dirham ($1 billion).[37]
Over 800,000 people applied for the stimulus grant as an economic response to the pandemic by the government of Namibia. 346,000 of them were paid by the end of April.[164]
Economic responses in Mauritius included the Government implementation of a Self-Employed Assistance Scheme (SEAS) through the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) on 31 March 2020 to assist self-employed persons who have suffered a loss of revenue as a consequence of the lockdown in the fight against COVID-19.[194] Additional financial support was also provided to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.[195]