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Burundi: Election campaigns kick-off amid COVID-19 pandemic

Political campaigning ahead of the 20 May presidential elections officially kicks off in Burundi today against a backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and continued intimidation of people by the Imbonerakure youth wing of the ruling party, the National Council for Defence of Democracy – Forces for the Defence of Democracy (CNDD-FDD). “Fleeing refugees consistently told […]

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Muslims start Ramadan fasting on April 24 amid pandemic

Saudi confirms sighting of moon, Ramadan starts April 24 Majority of Muslims around the world will start fasting on April 24 which is the first day of the holy month of Ramadan. Various news agencies dedicated to the activities of the two Holy Mosques in Saudi Arabia confirmed the sighting of the hilal (new moon). […]

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Malawi reports first three cases of Coronavirus infection

Malawi has reported its first three confirmed cases of coronavirus, the nation’s government has confirmed. The southern African nation was among the few African countries yet to report coronavirus cases. Others include Lesotho, Comoros, South Sudan and São Tomé and Príncipe. President Peter Mutharika made the announcement in an address to the nation on Thursday […]

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Concerns over Queen Elizabeth’s health amidst Coronavirus Pandemic

There are growing concerns about the health of Queen Elizabeth II following the diagnosis of her son, Prince Charles, who tested positive for Coronavirus. The monarch was reportedly exposed to the virus during one of her weekly meetings with Prime Minister Boris Johnson who tested positive during the week. The monarch held a face-to-face with […]

Keeping up with the First Ladies: Gabon FL shares coronavirus murals

Across the African continent, First Ladies are generally considered the ‘Mother of the Nation’, and are often expected to be unifying figures, serving the president of the nation and the voters who entrusted him the mandate to lead. While the position of first lady is not legally or constitutionally provided for in many countries, many […]

Ex-governor donates $520,000 to Lagos, national disease control outfit

National leader of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has donated over half a million dollars to the coronavirus combat in the country. Tinubu, a former Lagos state governor on Sunday pledged the sum of 200 million naira (about $522,000). He noted that the amount was to be split between the Lagos […]

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Banks lower charges for social grant recipients amid Covid-19 pandemic lockdown

Social grant recipients will in the next few days make use of many ATMs and retail shops as possible to get their money without incurring high bank charges so they can practice social distancing. This is because banks were expected to “significantly” reduce their charges to increase the number of pay-points the grant beneficiaries can […]

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Could decades-old chloroquine be a solution to coronavirus

Could a pair of decades-old, relatively inexpensive anti-malarial drugs be the solution to the novel coronavirus pandemic? Around the world, countries are expanding access to hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, related compounds that are synthetic forms of quinine, which comes from cinchona trees and has been used for centuries to treat malaria. “Hydrochloroquine is well tolerated because […]

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Zimbabwe confirms first coronavirus case

Zimbabwe recorded its first confirmed case of coronavirus. Health minister Obadiah Moyo made the shock announcement on state television Friday. Moyo said the patient diagnosed with the dreaded disease lives in Victoria Falls and had travelled to the United Kingdom where he presumably got infected. “The National Microbiology Reference Laboratory at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital […]

South Africa repatriates 121 citizens from China

A large media contingent at the Gateway International Airport at Polokwane in Limpopo welcomed the arrival of 121 South African citizens repatriated from Wuhan, in China, the epicenter of the Coronavirus pandemic. The 121 expatriates arrived in the country on Saturday, accompanied by members of the South African National Defence Force and South African Airways. […]