(Updates, adds restrictions imposed by Tunisia, Ivory Coast,
Gabon, Congo Republic)
NAIROBI/ADDIS ABABA, March 16 (Reuters) - More African
nations confirmed their first cases of the coronavirus and shut
borders amid fears of the disease's impact on fragile health
systems, as Chinese billionaire and Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma
pledged to donate over 1 million testing kits to the continent.
Thirty African countries - more than half the continent -
are now treating nearly 400 patients with coronavirus, after
Tanzania, Liberia, Benin and Somalia said they registered their
first cases.
Africa had until recently been spared the rapid spread of
COVID-19, which has infected at least 180,000 people worldwide
and caused over 7,000 deaths. But health experts
are concerned the continent's often dilapidated health
infrastructure will struggle to cope as cases mount.
"We cannot ignore the potential risk to Africa and assume
this continent of 1.3 billion people will blissfully escape the
crisis. The world cannot afford the unthinkable consequences of
a COV-19 pandemic in Africa," Ma's foundation said in a
statement.
The foundation will send 1.1 million testing kits, 6
million masks and 60,000 protective suits and face shields to
Ethiopia for distribution to Africa's 54 nations, it said.
Earlier on Monday, the World Bank said it had committed $60
million to Kenya to help the East African nation battle the
outbreak. Some countries on the continent, such as conflict-hit
Somalia, depend on donors to support basic public health
facilities.
Somalian Health Minister Fawziya Abikar Nur said the
ministry had quarantined and tested four Somalis who came from
China last week, and one had tested positive for the respiratory
disease. International flights to Somalia were suspended for two
weeks, the aviation minister said. In West Africa, the small and impoverished nation of Liberia
announced its first case. Liberia was devastated by a 2014 Ebola
epidemic that killed 4,000 people, and its healthcare system has
remained underfunded despite promises of investment.
Benin, considered a relatively stable democracy in the
turbulent West African region, also announced its first case.
The Health Ministry said the Beninois national was being held in
an isolation ward in the capital after returning from Belgium
and Burkina Faso on March 11. The Health Ministry in the East African nation of Tanzania
also confirmed its first case, a Tanzanian woman who had
travelled to Denmark, Sweden and Belgium. She had her
temperature taken at the airport but had no fever and was
allowed to pass, but later felt unwell at her hotel, the
ministry said. L8N2B913C
Also on Monday, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Senegal and
Cameroon all reported more cases and South African Finance
Minister Tito Mboweni said his nation, which has 62 cases so
far, may need to raid other government departments for funds to
fight the disease. He did not provide any figures.
CRACKDOWN AS BORDERS CLOSE
Many African nations, including some without reported cases,
have ordered tougher control measures, including bans on public
gatherings, halting flights and closing schools and
universities.
In northern Africa, Tunisia said it would suspend
international flights and close its land border in an effort to
contain the spread of the virus.
Botswana, in southern Africa, said on Monday it would bar
entry to travellers from 18 high-risk countries, including
China, Britain, the United States, Iran, France and Italy.
In West Africa, Senegal said it would suspend flights to and
from France, Italy, Spain, Belgium and Portugal, as well as
Tunisia and Algeria, for a period of 30 days.
Ivory Coast said it would bar entry to travellers from
countries with over 100 cases, although Ivorian citizens and
residents would be allowed to return if they went into
quarantine for 14 days. It also closed schools, nightclubs and
cinemas and banned gatherings of over 50 people, according to a
national security council statement.
Ethiopia, Africa's second-largest nation, joined the growing
list of countries that closed schools for two weeks, suspended
all large gatherings and cancelled all sports events, Prime
Minister Abiy Ahmed's office said.
Government buses will give people free rides to curb
overcrowding in the public transport system, a statement said.
In Central Africa, Congo Republic said it would suspend all
flights from high-risk countries from Thursday. Neighbouring
Gabon reduced the number of flights from abroad to one a week
per airline and ordered restaurants to close, barring takeout
and delivery.
Nigeria's Health Ministry said the country, Africa's most
populous, had strengthened contact tracing, stockpiled reagents
used in test kits and increased testing capacity.
Also on Monday, Kenyan police raided a clinic alleged to be
selling fake coronavirus testing kits. Police detained staff and
locked the facility, witnesses told Reuters journalists at the
scene, after it had been advertising testing kits online.