On March 21, Rwanda became the first sub-Saharan African country to impose a nationwide lockdown after the Central African country confirmed 17 cases of the novel coronavirus. In no chronological order Ghana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria followed suit.
After this initial wave of nationwide lockdowns to contain the spread of COVID-19, African countries have started to ease the lockdown and to gradually reopen economies.
According to Africa Centres for Disease Control (and Prevention), the continent has 37,393 confirmed cases, 1,598 deaths and 12,228 recoveries.
About two weeks ago, Ghana started the process of easing the nationwide lockdown, citing better preparedness for testing and prevention of transmission. Other African countries such as Nigeria and South Africa have also started the process of easing the nationwide lockdown beginning with a phased reopening of the economy. Several factors have emboldened Nigeria and other African peers to ease the lockdowns.
Read Also: How Lagos lockdown made work-from-home normal
At the continental level, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, an organ of the African Union, under the Partnerships for Accelerated COVID-19 Testing (PACT) aims to conduct one million tests every month and 10 million tests in four months. This initiative aims to deploy one million health workers for contact tracing and to standardise and deploy new technologies for surveillance to help reopen economies. PACT is also designed to establish Africa-wide pooled procurement, storage and distribution hubs.
In a document, COVID-19 Pandemic Updates West Africa Private Sector Regional Call the Africa CDC has outlined an Africa-wide strategy grounded on three pillars and operationalised by the Africa Coronavirus Taskforce (AFTCOR) with an estimated total budget of $430 million. The three pillars include – preventing transmission, which targets procurement of surveillance, diagnostic and infection prevention and control (IPC) supplies. This first pillar with a budget of about $175 million also involves enhanced surveillance and data collection, and cascading training on surveillance, laboratory and IPC.
Two other pillars are preventing deaths and preventing social harm, the former has a budget of $220 million and the latter $35 million.
In this Africa-wide spirit of easing nationwide lockdowns and reopening economies, Nigeria has codified guidelines and recommendations too. Although the lockdown initially targeted Lagos State, Ogun State and the Federal Capital Territory, when other states got confirmed cases, they quickly swung into action and imposed state-wide lockdowns.
On May 4, Nigeria begins the first phase of easing the lockdown. The decision on when to progress to a subsequent phase would be subject to evaluation by the State and Federal government along with guidance from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Decisions would be made by evaluating data on active cases and the progress in the key sectors within the state.
After the two weeks, a decision would be made whether to tighten the lockdown protocol, remain at the current phase or move on to the next phase.
States’ preparedness will be measured by three indicators: testing, contact tracing and the capacity of healthcare systems.
Testing and contact tracing entail creating avenues to allow time-efficient testing of symptomatic individuals and putting in place-responsive systems for tracing and informing contacts of confirmed COVID-19 positive cases.
The capacity of the healthcare system of states forms part of the preparedness metric. This ensures relevant healthcare facilities within the state have the requisite facilities and guidelines needed to tackle the pandemic. Then states have to have plans to protect healthcare workers and workers in other critical sectors such as agriculture and construction. This implies also that states ensure citizenry in the state remain informed on and adhere to NCDC guidelines.
Read Also: Containing Coronavirus spread amid lockdown easing
From May 4, there will be a general curfew from 8.00 pm to 6.00 am. Selected offices will open from 9.00 am to 2.00 pm. Non-essential interstate travel is prohibited. Face masks must be worn by all persons and social distance guidelines must be maintained.
All agricultural activity is to proceed but still subject to NCDC social distancing guidelines and the wearing of appropriate facemasks. To relieve farmers of farm product losses, states are to allow trucks bearing agricultural goods easy passage through their borders. The states are also to allow the processing of agricultural products to mitigate the loss of perishable items.
Markets will reopen too. Markets are categorised as modern, traditional or periodic and have allocated days and time that shops would be permitted to open.
Local markets are to operate for two days a week between 10.00 am and 4.00 pm and periodic markets should be synchronised. Neighbourhood markets will be open for three days and longer hours but should adhere to the general curfew time. Abattoirs will only be opened on market days. Warehouses and neighbourhood markets are to open on market days to serve shops.
Allowance has been made for the reopening of transportation of air cargo (courier services) to ease the movement of goods and services across the nation.
All schools are to remain closed in phase one until further evaluation. Sport gatherings remain prohibited in phase one until further evaluation. Religious gatherings remain prohibited in phase one until further evaluation.
Hospitality services ventures are to remain closed in phase one until further evaluation. Concerts and other social parties or gathering remain banned in phase one until further notice.
Eateries and restaurants will only operate takeaway services. Roadside vendors are allowed within their local neighbourhoods. They are important to support the staff in the sectors to be reopened in this phase. Vendors are advised to strictly adhere to the curfew hours.
