Malawi was the last to close schools when President Lazarus Chakwera announced it would close three weeks after a sharp increase in numbers.
The country has not reported any cases for more than two months, but they have now risen to a third of the total of 353 deaths in the past two weeks, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Chakwera said he had ordered an increase in the number of test sites and recruited additional medical staff, noting that the country’s facilities were terribly inadequate. The president said he had instructed the finance minister to allocate about $ 23 million as soon as possible to meet the demands of the current disaster.
In neighboring Zambia, schools were scheduled to reopen on January 18, but this was postponed for another two weeks due to the increased number of cases. They will now open on February 1, authorities said.
Zimbabwe, like Malawi, allowed only the opening of examination courses, but in accordance with the strict rules of Covid-19.
“Distressed and upset” parents
However, in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, schools reopened on January 18, despite opposition from lawmakers and an increasing number of cases in the country.
Parents there told CNN they were worried about the decision to send their children back to school.
Brenda Uphopho, a festival director from Lagos, said she chose to keep her nine-year-old son at home.
“I don’t understand why this is happening,” she said. “I’m so upset and angry. Is it okay for kids to miss school? They can get back to school when it’s safe.”
South Africa, which has the largest number of cases in Africa and was dealing with a new virulent strain of the virus, which delayed the reopening of schools by another two weeks.
“Given the pressure experienced by the health system in the last few weeks, on the occasion of the increase in COVID-19 infections that led to the second wave, the Board of Education .. has decided to delay the reopening of both public schools and to the private ones. “Deputy basic education deputy Reginah Mhaule said in a statement.
South Africa registered 12,710 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number of infections to almost 1.4 million. 566 died from the virus, with another 839 deaths the previous day, according to Johns Hopkins University.
In Malawi, hospitals have been “overwhelmed” by patients, and empty beds are rare. Medical supplies, including ventilators, were also deficient.
A national state disaster
Chakwera has declared a national state disaster An January 12 in all 28 districts of Malawi in response to recent growth.
Since then, he has sought support from donors, including the United Nations.
But there have been criticisms of the government’s handling of the virus. A recent Oxfam report indicates that the previous government – which lost power in June last year following the resumption of the presidential election – used 80% of the funds raised to fight Covid-19 on compensation. The charity warned the current government against repeating the same mistakes.
Onjezani Kenani, a militant who called on the government to equip hospitals with medical supplies and personal protective equipment, asked for donations to assist hospitals through a Facebook post on January 15th.
“Friends, I prefer action,” he said. “We can point out things that our government is not doing right, but the fact is that people are suffering there and some are dying. As the government does its part, we and we can fight and make our own.”
“I therefore applaud the efforts of private citizens who are already conducting capital campaigns to raise money to address these needs,” President Chakwera said, acknowledging the effort. “I would like to call on private sector companies to follow this example and practice their corporate social responsibility at this critical time.