COVID-19: cases climb as Congo enters 3rd week of lockdown [Morning Call]

Globally, more than 2.3 million people have been infected by the novel coronavirus and more than 164,000 people have died. The latest figures are according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

In Africa, the number of deaths rose by 55 in the last 24 hours, with the total toll now at 1,080. Data compiled from the Africa Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (Africa CDC) show that total cases on the continent had reached over 21,000 after 1,047 additional cases.

North Africa has been the hardest hit on the continent followed by western, southern central and eastern regions. Sekou Kourouma, a top government official in Guinea and close ally of President Alpha Conde has died from the disease. Kourouma, who was secretary-general of the government and a former minister, died in Conakry on Saturday and in Nigeria, Abba Kyari, the chief of staff to President Buhari has also died from the disease.

Now, Africanews reaches you live from our studios in Pointe Noire, the Republic of Congo and over here there’s been an increase in the number of coronavirus cases. 143 cases now, the Health Minister Jacqueline Lydia Mikolo says. The central African country which is in the 3rd week of a one month lockdown has a population of around 5 million people and the sudden increase in the number of coronavirus cases has got the government talking.

For more on this, we are now being joined by the country’s Communication minister Thierry Moungalla

@jerrybambi1