africa "In a continent of 1.3 billion people — 17 per cent of the world’s entire population — Africa accounts for barely one per cent of the number of infections and even less than one per cent of the number of deaths" Last month, Ursula von der Leyen announced a €15 billion fund to help poor countries fight COVID-19. “We will only win this battle with a coordinated global response” the EU Commission President proclaimed. And it was Africa where lots of the attention and money would be focused. There were fears that much of the continent would be overwhelmed, with many countries beset with weak healthcare systems, corrupt governments, war or mega cities where social distancing would be impossible. The Financial Times reported in early April that Sierra Leone had just one ventilator for its 7.5 million people. In the Central African Republic there were just three machines, while Burkina Faso had eleven. The situation and predictions were dire. Yet, as we approach the middle of May, most African countries aren’t reporting many cases (this might be due to a lack of testing) but more importantly, they are also reporting very few deaths. In a continent of 1.3 billion people — 17 per cent of the world’s entire population — Africa accounts for barely one per cent of the number of infections and even less than one per cent of the number of deaths. It led one Senegalese academic, Felwine Sarr, to say: “The Europeans are worried about us, but we are worried about them.” brazil First Brazil death 'earlier than thought' The first recorded coronavirus-related death in Brazil happened almost two months earlier than previously thought, researchers say. Scientists at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation examined cases of patients taken to hospital with respiratory problems. They say molecular tests suggest one patient who died in Rio de Janeiro between 19 and 25 January had Covid-19. The first previously known death in Brazil was that of a man on 16 March. calgary 'I would do anything for a do-over': Calgary church hopes others learn from their tragic COVID-19 experience CALGARY -- Members of a Calgary church ravaged by COVID-19 in the early days of the pandemic are sharing their stories of grief and healing, after Alberta's chief medical health officer cited them as a cautionary tale. "I had the opportunity recently to talk to a faith leader whose faith community gathered together in mid-March before many of our public health measures were in place,” Dr Deena Hinshaw said Thursday. "The congregation had a worship service and then gathered together for a celebratory social event. There were only 41 people present, and they were careful to observe two meter distancing and good hand hygiene. They followed all the rules and did nothing wrong. " Despite that, 24 of the 41 people at the party ended up infected. Two of them died. canada B.C. health officials adamant Canada-U.S. border should remain closed to visitors 3,000 non-essential travellers have been denied entry into Canada from the U.S. since March. B.C. health officials are adamant the Canada-U.S. border should not reopen to visitors anytime soon as the clock ticks down on the agreement currently banning non-essential travel set to expire May 21. Canadian and American officials are in ongoing talks over an expected increase in cross-border travel as economies begin to restart. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says traffic over the shared border is bound to increase as states and provinces reopen shuttered businesses, even if the Canada-U.S. ban on non-essential travel remains unchanged.

mauritius Mauritius virus-free after total recoveries Mauritius declared total recoveries from coronavirus infections as of May 11, 2020. The island nation’s official COVID-19 page said 322 people had recovered out of the 332 confirmed cases so far. 10 people have since died. May 11 marked the fifteenth consecutive day that the no new case was recorded in the country. A lockdown however remains in place to contain possible spread of the virus. Mauritius becomes the second Africa country to have declared virus-free status after infection. Mauritania weeks ago reported full recoveries (6 recoveries and a death at the time), another infection was subsequently recorded. As of May 12, 2020 Africa’s sole virus free nation is Mauritius. Lesotho is the sole African country yet to record a case. Eritrea, Seychelles and Mauritania each have one active case pending according to tallies by John Hopkins University. toronto COVID-19 forces Canadian National Exhibition to cancel 2020 fair Last time the annual summer event was cancelled? The Second World War. The annual fair had been scheduled to run from Aug. 21 to Sept. 7 at Exhibition Place in Toronto. "Safety always comes first at the CNE, and the decision to cancel our event is the right decision during this critical time to protect the health of all Canadians," said John Kiru, president of the Canadian National Exhibition Association, in a statement. wave2 Coronavirus lockdown: How to prevent a second wave of infections