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The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently predicted that there will be a surge in COVID-19 infections as African nations reopen their land and air borders. The global healthy agency also stressed the need for governments to be proactive in mitigating the risks posed by the resumption of commercial flights by countries on the continent. Many African governments had, in line with the trends in Europe, America and other parts of the world, acted swiftly by implementing travel restrictions in the early days of the pandemic. Not less than 36 countries shut their borders; eight suspended flights from high COVID-19 countries, while others had partial or no restrictions.
With the gradual relaxation of the lockdown, countries are opening their airspaces. Cameroun, Equatorial Guinea, Tanzania and Zambia have resumed commercial flights. The 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will open members’ airspace on July 21. Other regions of the world are following suit. Resumption of international flights will free up the economies and social life of the nations. Having the lockdown for too long will adversely affect the wellbeing of many Africans.
Statistics indicate that Africa is experiencing exponential increase in the spread of the pandemic. While it took nearly 100 days for the continent to reach an initial 100,000 cases, it took only 18 days for that to double to 200,000. It doubled again to 400,000 cases over the next 20 days. According to the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, though these cases account for less than three per cent of the global total, it is clear that the pandemic is accelerating. By the second week of July, the continent had recorded 559,446 cases, 12,769 deaths and 271,826 recoveries.
Most African countries are currently experiencing community transmission, according to the WHO. This is when a person contracts the disease without having been in contact with a known case from abroad or a confirmed domestic case, which makes it hard to track down the source of a local outbreak. South Africa, Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria and Sudan rank among the countries with the fastest rates of infection on the continent.
According to Moeti, the pandemic is still concentrated in and around capital cities with more cases spreading out into the provinces. She added that the virus entered into the capital cities of most countries on the continent through international flights from Europe. Opening the airways will, therefore, likely lead to spike in the infection rates, hence the WHO warning is critical. More worrisome is the fact that many people are reportedly breaking the safety measures despite the lockdown.
To stem the spread of the infection, African countries must enforce the safety protocols such as hand washing, social distancing, wearing of face masks and remaining at home when there is no compelling need to go out. The example of Lagos State in enforcing the use of face mask is worthy of emulation.
Leaders must show example in observing the prescribed protocols. It is sad that some leaders in Africa do not believe that the disease exists, hence they are not giving it the desired attention. The experience in Ghana where a minister, who concealed his COVID-19 status was forced to resign, should be encouraged.
The fact of matter is that the coronavirus pandemic is real and should not be politicised by any leader. This is not the first time the WHO is warning countries on the dangers of the disease and the best practices to adopt to mitigate its spread. Therefore, African countries are enjoined to heed the warning by the global body. As the countries in Africa open their airways, there is need to guard against spike in COVID-19 infections.
The current warning by the global health agency came at a time the rate of new infections from the pandemic in the country is frightening. The month of June alone accounted for 50 per cent of the surge. Lagos State accounts for almost half of the total infections in the country. Let African countries ensure the enforcement of measures to halt the spread of the disease.
