This archive report was first published on 18 June 2020.
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread across Africa, governments are easing restrictions in a bid to limit economic harm, despite a rapid rise in cases.
Strict lockdowns have had a devastating impact on hundreds of millions of people living in overcrowded housing without regular employment, and have undermined public finances in already poor nations.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has acknowledged that restrictions on movement and economic activity have taken a heavy toll, particularly on vulnerable and marginalized communities.
According to the WHO, the pandemic could smoulder in Africa for several years, with an estimated 190,000 deaths in the coming 12 months.
Even more developed countries on the continent have been severely affected, with South Africa's economy expected to take six years to recover from the lockdown and ongoing restrictions.
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that hotels, restaurants, and hair salons will be allowed to open by the end of the month, with non-contact sports also set to resume.
However, Ramaphosa cautioned that South Africa has between a third and a quarter of all coronavirus cases on the continent, with over 80,000 confirmed cases.
“What was once a distant disease is coming much closer,” he said.
The situation is mixed across the continent, with some countries reporting very few new cases, while others are experiencing a rapid increase in infections.
Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO's regional director for Africa, noted that there is a lot of diversity in the situation of countries, with eight countries responsible for 85% of new infections in the last week.
