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Some companies can now open in South Africa
African countries have fewer cases of coronavirus than much of the world, but weaker health systems put the continent at risk.
Blocking measures can help prevent the spread of the virus, yet governments have taken very different approaches to impose restrictions on their populations.
Who has had the toughest restrictions?
The South African government had one of the most severe blockages and has just started allowing daily exercise, but people must continue to observe distancing, wearing masks, and hand washing.
Restaurants can now also deliver takeout.
But it has kept schools and universities closed, has limited visits to hospitals and prisons, and has restricted movement to key workers. All public gatherings, other than funerals, are prohibited and the military has been deployed to enforce these measures.
Zimbabwe imposed a strict blockade, although it only had a small number of infections.
Kenya imposed a partial closure, with a ban on travel in and out of major cities. It also had a national curfew overnight, which has resulted in more than 400 arrests for rapes.
Nigeria, by far the most populous nation in Africa, closed its land borders and banned all international flights in late March.
A process of easing restrictions is now beginning, partially allowing stores and markets to resume. Schools and places of worship must remain closed.
Some countries have imposed much less radical controls on their citizens.
Tanzania reported its first case in mid-March, and the government closed education centers, but public and religious gatherings were not prohibited and only suspended international flights on April 11.
Why do some countries lift the restrictions?
Ghana imposed closure restrictions on its main cities, but they have now been largely removed. However, social events and public gatherings are still prohibited, borders remained closed, and school closings will remain in place for now.
President Nana Akufo-Addo said that increasing testing and improving treatment centers meant they could facilitate the measures.
“The blockade was beginning to have a negative impact on the poor who depend mainly on their daily sales for a living,” says BBC Ghana correspondent Thomas Naadi.
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Ghana has begun to ease its blockade
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has also relaxed some restrictions in those parts of its capital, Kinshasa, which had been severely affected by the coronavirus.
In Rwanda, religious centers and bars remain closed, but workplaces are opening. Movement in and out of the capital, Kigali, is restricted and there is a night curfew.
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Nigeria has said that Lagos and Abuja will see some restrictions lifted
Are blockades the right answer in Africa?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Africa, the body that coordinates responses to a pandemic across the continent, told the BBC that the blockades have played a role in reducing new cases.
“Without the closure, we would have seen a more explosive outbreak,” says director John Nkengasong.
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Increasing testability is a key part of fighting the virus.
Add that it’s not just the lock itself, but also what else you do during that period.
“It intensifies testing, isolation, and contact tracing, so when you unlock the system, at least, you’ve made a big impact on the spread of the virus.”
The World Health Organization also says that countries must ensure that they have the capacity to detect, evaluate, isolate and treat confirmed cases as they ease restrictions.
Coronavirus is a much higher risk for older populations, putting particular pressure on countries in Europe.
The average ages in Italy and the UK are, for example, approximately 45 and 40 years old, while the average age in sub-Saharan Africa is approximately 20.
However, that does not mean that other factors do not come into play in Africa, such as sanitation and limited access to good health care.
Some voices have questioned the need for continued blockades, for example, the main opposition party in South Africa.
There are economic concerns: Western countries have invested large sums in supporting business and social welfare plans. But many African countries simply do not have that option.
And remittances abroad, a major source of income, will decline, further hurting local economies.
Human rights concerns have also been raised about the behavior of some security forces in enforcing restrictions.
Human rights group Amnesty International reported that abuses by security forces had occurred in South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Nigeria.
“Most states have expanded the power of the police and military, and for the most part has led to an increase in police violence and misconduct,” says Eda Seyhan of Covid State Watch, an organization that monitors the global abuse of powers during the pandemic.
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