London, June 5, 2020 (AltAfrica)-The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in South Africa is increasing exponentially. The tally rose by 3 267 to  40 792, compared to Wednesday increase by 1 713, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said on Thursday.

“Regrettably, we report 56 more Covid-19 related deaths: 1 in KwaZulu Natal, 1 in the Free State and 54 in Western Cape. This brings the total national deaths to 848,” Mkhize said in a statement.

A total of 820 675 tests have been processed cumulatively, of which 34 696 tests have been conducted since the last report. 

Egypt records 1152 COVID-19 cases, 38 deaths

Egypt recorded 1.152 new coronavirus, COVID-19 cases, Thursday, raising the total number of confirmed cases since the outbreak in Egypt to 29767.

Spokesman for the Health Ministry Khaled Megahed said in the daily briefing that 38 patients have died from the virus over the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to 1126.

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As many as 406 patients were discharged from isolation hospitals after receiving necessary medical care, taking the number of recovered cases to 7756 so far, the spokesman said.

The number of coronavirus patients who had now been retested for the virus and received negative results has reached 8793, he added.

Kenyan Police officer to be charged with Covid-19 curfew murder

Two Kenyan police officers will be charged with murder after investigations by the country’s police watchdog, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) said in a statement.

Duncan Ndiema Ndiwa is accused of shooting dead a 13-year-old boy Yassin Hussein Moyo who was on the balcony of his home in a suburb of the capital, Nairobi, according to the IPOA.

The shooting happened while the police were enforcing a curfew order in place to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Lotugh Angórita killed a teacher, Colleta Amondi Ouda, while responding to a report of a burglary in Siaya county, western Kenya.

The IPOA also named four other police officers who will be charged over an assault on a man in Garissa, in the east of the country.

On Wednesday, the watchdog body said that 15 people had been killed police and 31 injured since coronavirus measures were introduced on 25 March.

The IPOA said it had received 87 complaints from the public, including assaults resulting in serious injuries, robbery, inhuman treatment and sexual assault.

Human rights groups have often complained about police brutality and impunity for the officers involved.

100 children raped in Ethiopia with Covid-19 restrictions

There has been a spike in child abuse in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, apparently caused by the restrictions introduced in mid-March to slow the spread of coronavirus.

Data from hospitals suggest more than 100 children have been raped – including some by family members.

In addition, 50 women reported being assaulted.

Sexual abuse of children has long been a serious issue in Addis Ababa, but now with schools closed and people advised to stay at home due to the Covid-19 pandemic, incidents are increasing.

An official from the city’s children and women’s affairs office told the BBC that victims were being treated in three facilities across the city.

They did not say if anyone had been arrested.

Ethiopia has seen a sharp rise in the number of people contracting coronavirus in the past two weeks – including 65 front-line health workers.

Kenya to roll out home-based care for Covid-19 patients

The Kenyan government is developing an interim guidance for safe home care for Covid-19 patients and their contacts, the Health Ministry has announced.

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said Thursday that the government is moving to decongest hospitals and prevent them from being overwhelmed.

“Mbagathi and Kenyatta University hospitals are reaching full capacity. Many of the confirmed cases are asymptomatic and can be managed from home,” the CS said.

The CS made the announcement as 124 more people tested positive for the new coronavirus bringing the national tally to 2,340. 

Elgeyo Marakwet in Rift Valley became the latest county to record a positive case. 36 counties now have been affected by the outbreak. 

The new cases were discovered after the ministry conducted tests on 2,640 sample

Sierra Leone doctors issue strike ultimatum amid Covid-19 fight

Just two days after low level Covid-19 responders went on strike, medical doctors in Sierra Leone have issued a strike notice over non-payment of allowances and incentives.

The Sierra Leone Medical and Dental Association (SLMDA) on Wednesday issued the strike notice, with a 48-hour ultimatum, to the government to meet all terms of payment as contained in a Memorandum of Understanding signed in April or face a “massive disruption” of healthcare services.

“Allowances to healthcare workers at the very forefront in treatment and isolation centres are almost non-existent… the PAYE has been erratic and only paid to some,” the association said.

“If the situation is not resolved within 48 hours, it will lead to a massive disruption of healthcare services in Sierra Leone,” it added.

The doctors’ warning comes as a reaction to a statement issued by the government on Tuesday in response to the strike by the low level frontline workers, whose action paralysed the country’s Covid-19 response efforts.

The MoU signed on April 22 detailed the package and timeline to complete it. Part of it is refund of PAYE tax deducted from their monthly salaries.