EDITORIAL (Halbeeg News) – Coronavirus which has been continuing to sweep and strike people in different countries from China to US to Italy to Spain and many others has finally landed in Africa continent, presenting grave danger to many countries in the continent including Somalia.
On 14th February, the continent confirmed that the first case of the novel Coronavirus was recorded in Egypt which is located in the Northeast part of the continent.
As of now (30th March), 723,000 cases of the virus were confirmed globally with every single minute the virus which WHO as termed as pandemic stretches its muscles to strikes dozens of healthy people in different parts of the world. So far, the novel Coronavirus pandemic known as COVID19 has claimed lives 34,998 people cross the world since when the epidemic began in late December in Wuhan, China.
There are now more than 4,600 confirmed cases of coronavirus across the continent, with many African countries imposing a range of prevention and containment measures against the spread of the pandemic.
In Africa, 146 deaths and 335 recoveries have been recorded since it reached the continent.
The virus became world’s biggest challenge and threat since world war II which ended in 1945.
Despite knowing little about the potential risk of the virus by world the four months ago, COVID19 has now forced world to suspend international traffic.
Local and international flights grounded, works stopped, businesses shut down, curfews and movement restrictions imposed just to avoid spread.
But in returned, COVID19 flexed its muscles to strike thousands of people in developed countries including China, US, Italy, Spain and UK.
With no medicine to cure it, the virus indiscriminately affected all walks of life, from Rich to poor, from politician to businessmen, top officials to to juniors.
Among the leaders who contracted the virus include UK PM Boris Johnson, Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, Prince Albert of Monaco, One of Australia’s highest-profile ministers, Peter Dutton, Iranian Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri, and former prime minister of Somalia, Nur Hassan.
The current situation of Somalia
Somalia in Horn of Africa confirmed the case of COVID on 16th of March after one of four Somali citizens who travelled from China tested positive with days later confirming two more cases which made the total number of patients in the country three including foreigner working with UN.
Many Somalis now boast that country has recorded few cases of the virus compared to its neighbours and other countries in the world but they simply forgot that the government’s capability to know the exact number of patients in the country, meaning that there could be other unregistered cases.
The government’s response has been comprehensive and multi-faceted; with the Ministry of Health leading the charge by announcing policy measures and behavioral protocols, geared towards limiting the spread of this disease.
Somalia had banned international flights mid-March for a period of two weeks in addition to closing all learning institutions for the same period after the country recorded its first COVID-19 case. The flight suspension which was supposed to lapse this week was extended on Saturday. All local flights within Somalia with exception of humanitarian flights was also suspended this week’s to stop the spread of the virus.
However, despite her neighbour Kenya declaring curfew, Somalia has not yet announced lockdown to restrict the movement of people.
Kenya whose governmental institutions are more powerful than Somalia had implemented restrictions, closed learning and religious institutions. In Kenya, night curfew imposed and the government ordered implement of social distancing.
Despite the call by prime minister Hassan Ali, Kheire to refrain social gathering and meeting, no changes yet took place and no state of emergency introduced.
Wedding ceremonies and other social gatherings are taking place in parts of the country with people having no protective COVID19 equipment.
It seems like many celebrities and politicians who would lead the fight against the virus, are breaching water and drink wine as they gather, hug, taking selfies, welcome others at the airports.
In Somalia, the dissemination of fake news about the virus, its treatment, its contraction as well as its preventive is at the peak while the awareness campaign against the virus is minimal.
What should we do
During calamities, Somalia used to get support from well developed countries but the virus has indiscriminately affected donor and partner countries of Somalia. Therefore, by knowing that it is hard getting support at this time, Somalia should take measures to prevent the virus before the situation turn into tragic.
In fact, Somalia is at a stage where it can put in place measures to stop COVID19 before it reaches every corner of the nation.
It is not advisable the government to impose Nationwide lockdown as it has not capacity to provide financial support to the people but before the situation gets worse, the government can number of other things including:
1- to stop all gatherings including weddings, meetings and so on.
2. Implementation of social distancing.
3. Stepping up awareness campaigns against the virus.
3. Full cooperation between federal government and its member states on the fight against the virus.
Many people especially younger people presumably think that they have strong immune and also underestimated the virus but the reality is, the virus leaves no stone unturned and even there are number of young people who lost battle to the virus. The other thing is, by contracting virus, we can also pass it to our elderly relative who have weak immune.
As large portion of the country population rely on casual labour, if COVID19 engulfs the country, then it will compulsory to impose total lock-down, which will also have negative impact on our lives, as many might die of hunger. So, to avoid all these, we need to act now by implementing preventive measures to stop the spread of this virus.
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