Coronavirus

The top aide of Tanzania’s president died on Tuesday night in the capital, Dodoma. The government has not disclosed the cause of his death. Chief Secretary John Kijazi died while receiving treatment at the Benjamin Mkapa Hospital, according to a statement released by the president’s office. He was also the …

Four pastors in Manica province in central Mozambique have been arrested for holding religious services with more than 50 people in attendance in violation of Covid-19 restrictions. They may be punished with sentences ranging from three to 15 days in prison or a fine. Read also: Libya celebrates 10 years …

Libyans marked Wednesday’s 10th anniversary of the 2011 uprising that ousted and killed the long-time ruler Moammar Gadhafi. Libyans from all walks of life gathered at Tripoli main square to celebrate this decade-old anniversary amid tight security. The celebrations began Tuesday night not only in Tripoli but also in other …

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa will take the Johnson & Johnson vaccine that is set to rollout in the country. The president and the health minister will be immunised on Wednesday afternoon alongside health care workers at Khayelitsha, west of the country. He says it will “demonstrate our confidence in …

Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad, the first vice-president of Tanzania’s semi-autonomous islands of Zanzibar, has died at the age of 77, a few weeks after contracting coronavirus. He had been receiving treatment at Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s President John Magufuli has offered his condolences in a tweet. …

A deal for Taiwan to buy 5 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Germany’s BioNTech SE is on hold, the island’s health minister said on Wednesday, citing potential Chinese pressure for the delay. According to the Taiwan Health Minister Chen Shih-chung, officials were on the verge of announcing …

South Africa has received the first batch of Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccines. The government said the vaccine would be stored at a secure location in Gauteng province and then distributed to other provinces. The country’s vaccination rollout is expected to begin soon. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize tweeted photos of …

Zimbabwe says the Covid-19 variant first detected in South Africa now accounts for the majority of cases in the country. Results of genomic sequencing conducted recently showed that the variant the nation had in 2020 had receded and that the new and more aggressive variant accounted for 61% of cases, …

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) says South Sudan is facing its highest levels of food insecurity since it declared independence 10 years ago. The agency says this is due to outbreaks of violence, extreme weather patterns and the economic impact of Covid-19. Pibor county in the east of the …

Scientists have identified another new variant of coronavirus in the UK with some potentially troubling mutations. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh said the variant, known as B1525, has been detected through genome sequencing in countries including Denmark, the United States and Australia. Some 32 cases have been identified in …