AROUND THE WORLD

AFRICA

AFRICA has more than 60,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, according to a tally from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The Africa CDC says that all but one of the continent’s 54 countries, tiny Lesotho, has confirmed cases of the virus. South Africa has the most, with more than 9,400 registered.

The widespread shortage of testing capacity continues to be a challenge and means the true figures are likely to be much higher.

Some countries are easing lockdowns even as cases rise, arguing that people have to make a living and feed their families despite the risks.

AUSTRALIA

HEALTH Minister Greg Hunt says Australia’s government supports a European Union motion for an independent investigation into the origins of Covid-19 in China.

Australia has called for such an inquiry for some weeks to better understand how the coronavirus started in Wuhan, China, to be able counter such pandemics in the future.

The move has drawn a sharp response from China, Australia’s main trading partner.

Mr Hunt said: “We support the EU motion which includes an independent investigation, regulatory work on wet markets and also the potential for independent inspection powers.”

Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the EU’s executive arm, said last week that she would like to see China work together with her organisation, and others, to determine how the virus emerged.

INDIA

AN INDIAN navy warship carrying Indians stranded in the Maldives because of the coronavirus lockdown has docked at a port in Kochi, the capital of the southernmost state of Kerala.

The INS Jalashwa, with 698 returning citizens on board, is the first vessel to arrive as part of India’s massive repatriation mission. India is also using national carrier Air India to bring back thousands of stranded citizens from the Persian Gulf, the UK and elsewhere in Asia. Passengers have been charged a fare to return home. Hundreds of thousands of Indians have signed up for additional repatriation journeys this month.

India’s lockdown has entered a sixth week, though some restrictions have been eased for self-employed people unable to access government support to return to work.

Nationwide, though, the pace of Covid-19 infection is growing, and India has reported 60,829 cases, including 19,357 recovered patients, and 2,109 deaths.