Covid-19: Angola keeps restrictions on Luanda after local infections

Angolan authorities on Wednesday maintained restrictions imposed on the capital, Luanda, after two more people with no travel history tested positive for Covid-19.

Among the country’s 18 provinces, Luanda and Cuanza Norte have been the most hit. Officials said on Wednesday the restrictions on movement into and out of the two provinces will continue.

Mr Pedro Sebastião, State minister and head of the presidential palace security, said the two cases were reported after random tests on the public and that the patients had not left the region or the country this year.

The tests were carried out in areas including Kikolo, Asa Branca open market, Mártires do Kifangondo quarter and part of Cuanza Norte, reaching a total of 15,139 people, Mr Sebastião said on Wednesday.

CONFIRMED CASES

Health minister Silvia Lutukuta said the restrictions will ensure no further spread of the virus among the communities.

“It is all dependent upon us. Individual and collective protection …  no one is immune to the virus,” Ms Lutukuta said, adding 35 new cases had been confirmed.

Angola has recorded 576 cases since March, 475 of them being from local transmission. Of these, 27  people have died and 124 have recovered.

Angola recorded its first two cases of the coronavirus on March 21 - two people who had returned from Portugal.

SOLDIERS INFECTED

Meanwhile, authorities last week announced that 30 soldiers working for the Angolan presidential security service had contracted the virus.

Mr Sebastião said they were all isolated and were not a threat to President João Lourenço and First Lady Ana Dias Lourenço.

“The infected soldiers belong to the fourth ring of the president security and are not in direct contact with the presidential couple”, he said.

“All preventive and sanitary recommended measures are in place to avoid the spread and all personnel in the presidency security scheme are tested regularly,” he added while giving an update on the pandemic.

MANDATORY TESTS

In addition, about 50 members of the ruling Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) political bureau, including its President Lourenço are to be tested for the virus as a member was found positive.

According to the organ’s spokesperson, Mr Albino Carlos, the infected member was in the meeting held on June 30 that the President also attended.

Some of the bureau’s 72 members attended the gathering via video conference from their provinces outside Luanda.

The member, whose identity Mr Carlos did not reveal, was found positive after a test ahead of a trip to a province out of Luanda.

“Following the WHO and the local sanitary authority’s recommendations, all the members who were in the gathering have to be tested,” Mr Carlos said.