South Africa is the most affected state on the continent, with 1505 cases of contagion and 9 deaths. The lock-down imposed by the executive is total with the army lined up in the streets and very tight measures. The Church faithfully follows government guidelines. “The Bishops have declared that the masses and the liturgical celebrations will not be public under any circumstances”
dozen days ago, Samuel Ikome Sako, interim president of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, announced a total lockdown, with the closure of the borders of the English-speaking regions due to the virus
In the Oronte valley, in the three villages Knaye, Yacoubieh and Gidaideh – about 50 km from Idlib – hundreds of Christians are still there together with priests Hanna Jallouf and Luai Bsciarat, both Franciscans of the Custody of the Holy Land, who remained to carry out the pastoral work in that territory still subject to the domination of the jihadist militants of Tahrir al Sham, opponents of the Syrian government. In the last few days, the military conflict in the area has taken on a level of semi-truce, both because of the precautions taken by the various parties involved to avoid contagion from Covid-19, and above all because of the ceasefire agreement negotiated at the beginning of March between Russia and Turkey, forces that in the field of conflict support respectively the Syrian government army and the anti-Assad militias
According to UN data, about 6 million people, 60% of the population, urgently need humanitarian assistance, 20% more than last year. “The country would be in a critical situation if it were to face an epidemic of this type”, notes Father Christian. In February and in the first weeks of March there were numerous movements with the neighboring states: “It is feared, therefore, that the virus may spread also in South Sudan – explains the Comboni priest – while the hope is that the hot climate limits the spread of contagion; but we will only know in a couple of weeks”
As a gesture of faith and communion, countless Chinese Catholics remained awake or woke up on purpose in the middle of the night to follow via internet the extraordinary act of prayer in times of epidemic presided over by Pope Francis on Friday 27 March in St. Peter’s Square (in Beijing it was already one in the morning ,Saturday 28 March). A large number of them are following the Pope’s spiritual suggestions every day (reciting the rosary, novena, daily prayers) to live their own Lenten spiritual journey in this time devastated by the global health emergency
Cardinal Philippe Ouédraogo of Burkina Faso has tested positive for the coronavirus. The Cardinal himself announced it through a note from the Vicar General, Fr. Alfred Ouédraogo “We want to inform you that we received the results of the test from the Archbishop. The test is positive and His Eminence has been transferred to the former Les Genêts clinic”, says the note. “The Cardinal asked to forward the information to the people of God. He asked to remain united in prayer for him, for all the other sick people and for those who take care of them”, he added
Present in many areas of conflict, from the Middle East to sub-Saharan Africa, the Order of Malta points out that 25 African countries have already reported Covid-19 cases