Coronavirus: Why are some African states easing lockdowns?
Coronavirus: How African countries are lifting lockdowns
(8 days later)
African countries have fewer coronavirus cases than much of the world, but weaker healthcare systems do put the continent at risk.
Despite the World Health Organization warning Africa still faces a growing threat from the coronavirus pandemic, many countries on the continent have begun easing their lockdown restrictions.
Lockdown measures can help prevent the virus spreading, yet governments have taken very different approaches to imposing restrictions on their populations.
Here's how different African countries have taken very different approaches to containing the spread of the virus.
Who's had the toughest restrictions?
South Africa: Tough measures slowly lifted
The South African government had one of the harshest lockdowns and has only just started permitting daily exercise, but people must continue to observe distancing, the wearing of masks and washing hands.
The South African government, which introduced one of the continent's toughest lockdowns, has begun easing restrictions, with President Cyril Ramaphosa citing concerns they have been damaging the economy:
Restaurants are also now allowed to deliver takeaway food.
However, the overall lockdown remains very much in place:
But it has kept schools and universities closed, limited hospital and prison visits, and restricted movement to key workers. All public gatherings apart from funerals are banned and the army has been deployed to enforce these measures.
And the army has been deployed to enforce these measures.
Zimbabwe enforced a strict lockdown, although it only had a small number of infections.
Nigeria: Unlocking big cities
Kenya imposed a partial lockdown, with travel in and out of major cities banned. It also had an overnight nationwide curfew, that has resulted in more than 400 arrests for violations.
Nigeria, by far Africa's most populous nation, closed its land borders and banned all international flights in late March.
Nigeria, by far Africa's most populous nation, closed its land borders and banned all international flights in late March.
It is now beginning a process of easing restrictions, partially allowing shops and markets to resume. Schools and places of worship are to stay shut.
But like South Africa, it began easing restrictions from the start of May.
Some countries have imposed far less sweeping controls on their citizens.
Shops and markets have been allowed to partially open.
Tanzania reported its first case in mid-March and the government closed education centres, but public and religious gatherings were not prohibited and it only suspended international flights on 11 April.
But schools and places of worship have not.
Why are some countries lifting restrictions?
The harshest lockdowns have been in the major cities, such as Lagos and Abuja.
Ghana placed lockdown restrictions on its major cities, but these have now been largely lifted. However, social events and public gatherings are still banned, borders remained closed and school closures will stay in place for the time being.
Some of these restrictions have now been lifted, allowing limited commercial activity to resume.
President Nana Akufo-Addo said increased testing and improved treatment centres meant they could ease measures.
But travel between states is banned.
"The lockdown was beginning to have a negative impact on the poor who mostly depend on their daily sales to make a living," says BBC Ghana correspondent Thomas Naadi.
And the government has said people must wear face coverings.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has also relaxed some restrictions in those parts of its capital city, Kinshasa, that had been badly hit by coronavirus.
Police in Lagos have arrested 1,400 people suspected of not wearing face protection or breaking a night-time curfew.
In Rwanda, religious centres and bars remain closed, but places of work are being opened up. Movement in and out of the capital, Kigali, is restricted and a night-time curfew is in place.
And governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu says stricter measures could return if people continue to flout the guidelines.
Are lockdowns the right response in Africa?
Kenya: Restrictions remain
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the body that co-ordinates pandemic responses across the continent, told the BBC that lockdowns have played a role in reducing new cases.
Kenya is maintaining its lockdown, in place since the start of April:
"Without the lockdown, we would have seen a more explosive outbreak," says director John Nkengasong.
The only easing has been to allow restaurants to resume operations but only under tight measures, including testing catering staff and implementing social-distancing measures.
He adds that it's not just the lockdown itself, but also what else you do during that period.
Kenya has also banned movement in and out of local districts in the capital, Nairobi, and the coastal city of Mombasa, which were reporting a high number of coronavirus cases.
"You intensify your testing, your isolation and your contact tracing so that when you unlock the system at least you have created a huge impact on the virus spread."
Ghana: Concerns over rise in infections
The World Health Organization also says countries should ensure they have the capacity to detect, test, isolate and care for confirmed cases as they ease restrictions.
Ghana has not introduced the toughest measures seen elsewhere in the continent.
Coronavirus is a much greater risk to older populations, putting particular pressures on countries in Europe.
And lockdown restrictions have predominately been in urban centres, which have been the worst hit.
The median ages in Italy and the UK are about 45 and 40 for example, whereas the average age in sub-Saharan Africa is about 20.
Instead, the government's emphasis has been on testing.
However, that's not to say other factors don't come into play in Africa such as sanitation and limited access to good healthcare.
But schools remain closed.
Some voices have questioned the need for continuing lockdowns, for example the main opposition party in South Africa.
And religious activities, conferences and festivals are all prohibited.
There are economic concerns - Western countries have put huge sums into supporting businesses and social welfare schemes. But many African countries simply do not have that option.
Some internal flights have resumed.
And overseas remittances, a big source of income, will decrease, further harming local economies.
But all international border crossings remain closed.
There have also been human rights issues raised about the behaviour of some security forces when enforcing restrictions.
And following a rise in the number of reported infections, President Nana Akufo-Addo has now extended the ban on public gatherings until the end of May.
Human rights group Amnesty International reported that there'd been abuses by security forces in South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Nigeria.
Elsewhere in Africa
"Most states have expanded police and army power, and for the most part it has led to an increase in police violence and misconduct," says Eda Seyhan at Covid State Watch, an organisation monitoring the global abuse of powers during the pandemic.
Economic hardship is putting pressure on lockdowns
Many African leaders, while supporting measures to control the virus, have expressed concern about the economic consequences.
Many in the continent live on low incomes and are not financially resilient to such economic shocks.
The World Bank predicts sub-Saharan Africa will experience its first recession in 25 years.
Governments have introduced support packages to help businesses and unemployed people.
And Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has called for debt relief to help African countries recover.
