Chinese in Africa warned to be alert and avoid unnecessary travel as third wave of Covid-19 sweeps continent
- Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda both reported their highest weekly caseload, with Chinese among the dead or seriously ill
- Spread of Delta variant raises concern about cases being imported into China after 32 passengers on a recent flight from South Africa were found to be infected
China has warned its citizens living in Africa to stay alert as a third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic hits the continent and urged them not to travel unless necessary to stop its spread.
Both the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda have reported their highest number of new weekly cases since the pandemic began, the World Health Organization said on Thursday, and the wildly transmissible Delta variant has been reported in 14 African countries.
The Chinese embassy in Uganda warned that the situation of Chinese citizens in Uganda had become “increasingly severe” during a video conference with Chinese-funded enterprises on Thursday.
The previous day it said that three members of the Chinese diaspora living in Uganda have died of Covid-19 since mid-June and several have become severely ill and are receiving treatment. The country’s health ministry says its overall death toll has now reached 584.
Meanwhile, in the DRC, where the president has warned that hospitals in the capital Kinshasa have been “overwhelmed” by the rise in infections, dozens of personnel from Chinese-funded institutions and Chinese living in the DRC have been diagnosed, while several who have recently returned to China have also been infected, the Chinese embassy said on Saturday.