By John Ikani
Chad’s health ministry has announced the re-introduction of compulsory wearing of face masks and observance of social-distancing as the West African nation records rising Covid-19 cases.
“In view of the epidemiological situation of the Covid-19 pandemic both worldwide and in Chad in particular… all preventative measures against disease, particular mask-wearing and social-distancing, must be adhered to,” the ministry said in a statement.
Last week, a total 33 new cases were reported in the capital N’Djamena alone.
To help enforce the new measures, UNICEF Chad in collaboration with 280 volunteers, and members of the Guides and Scouts Associations have embarked on sensitization campaigns on how to stop the advance of coronavirus.
Heritage Times HT gathered that the campaign includes pasting posters containing the protection measures like physical distancing, frequent hand washing with soap and water or alcoholic gel, and wearing of masks.
Chad is one of the world’s least-developed countries and has recorded a total 7,417 cases and 194 deaths from Covid-19 since the outbreak of the global pandemic in early 2020.
The French-speaking nation is also ranked by the United Nations as the third-least-developed country in the world and suffers from very high rates of deaths in childbirth, with one child in every five dying before reaching the age of five
The African Development Bank has said that Covid-19 “likely exacerbated poverty rates” in the landlocked country.
The ministry said that vaccination “remains strongly recommended for the entire population”.
