Coronavirus Analysis – African Continent

A total of 124,474 new confirmed COVID-19 cases (a 27% increase) was reported from 45 countries excluding Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea. Of the 124,474 reported new cases, the majority, 76% (86,695), were recorded in South Africa, which remains the epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak in Africa. South Africa is now the fifth most affected country globally, with its cumulative number of cases (350,879) exceeding that for the United Kingdom (294,066) and Italy (244,216). The two countries previously reported the highest number of confirmed cases and are now in the tenth and fourteenth position, respectively. On 11 July 2020, the WHO African Region and South Africa recorded their highest daily case counts of 17 232 and 13, 497, respectively.

Five countries including South Africa, observed the highest percentage increase in incidence cases: Lesotho 181% (from 184 to 359 cases), Namibia 60% (from 668 to 1,203 cases), Zambia (from 1,895 to 2,980) and Botswana (from 314 to 522). Lesotho and Namibia have been among the top five countries recording the highest percentage increase for the past three weeks.

.  The other countries that reported large numbers of cases are Nigeria, Ghana, Algeria, Zambia, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Kenya, Senegal and Ethiopia. These 10 countries collectively account for 88% of all reported cases. Of the 706,069 COVID-19 cases reported, 370,715 have recovered from across all the 47 countries.

The countries reporting the highest number of new deaths were, South Africa recording 977; Egypt recording 487, Zambia recording 78 deaths and Algeria recorded 1,004; Nigeria recorded 724 and Sudan recorded 650. South Africa, Nigeria, Algeria and Cameroon account for 75% (10,267) of the total deaths reported in the region. Three countries (Eritrea, Seychelles and Uganda) have not registered any COVID-19 related deaths since the beginning of the pandemic, while Botswana still has 1 death due to the pandemic.

SA mining production figures &Covid Statistics

According to the Minerals Council South Africa, the country has a reported 350,879 positive cases of COVID-19 of which some 4,172 are fatalities. In the mining sector specifically, 4,708 positive cases have been reported and 37 deaths with the most fatalities occurring in the platinum sector (21) followed by gold (11) and coal where some three people have died from the disease.

The rate of decline in South African mining production slowed in May compared to April as lockdown measures aimed at containing the spread of Covid-19 disease were relaxed. According to data obtained from Stats SA, mining production fell 29.8% year-on-year in May. April’s fall, worse than previously reported at a revised -50.3%, was the worst on record since the agency began the series in 1980. On a month-on-month, seasonally adjusted basis, mining production rose 44% from the previous month’s decline of a revised 36.8%. According to B4SA (Business for South Africa), mining output could fall by between 20% and 30% this year potentially resulting in the loss of 30,000 jobs.

The largest contributors to the annual change, however, were iron ore, which fell 66.3%; platinum group metals, which declined 27.3%; and manganese, which fell 45.4%. Collieries producing coal for Eskom’s consumption were allowed to continue to operate, even through the initial hard lockdown implemented by the South African government in March.

Zimbabwean Statistics

Zimbabwe witnessed a sharp increase during the past week with 496 new case being recorded with the 13^th of July recording the highest daily total since the virus began. 7 new deaths were recorded to bring the death toll to 25.  803 have been imported cases and 675 are locally transmitted cases, the past week has witnessed an increase in the number of local transmissions.

Bulawayo is now the epicenter of the virus as 447 of the cases have been registered in the province and Harare has the second highest with 408 cases. Bulawayo has 347 active cases and Harare has 324 active cases.

Matabeleland South has the third highest number with 210 cases and 172 active cases as there are 37 recoveries.

Mashonaland Central has the lowest number of cases with 14 confirmed cases.

A total of 100, 376 (59 740 RDT and 40 636 PCR) tests have been conducted nationwide.