Congo Limit Public Gatherings As Third Coronavirus Wave Builds

By John Ikani 

President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Felix Tshisekedi has announced that the country will limit public gatherings to 20 people and close nightclubs as the nation grapples with a third wave of COVID-19.

The announcement comes days after Tshisekedi told reporters that hospitals in the capital Kinshasa had been “overwhelmed” by the rising infections.

Congo has registered more than 35,000 infections and 834 deaths, according to figures from the Africa Centre for Disease Control.

The World Health Organization said on June 2 that COVID-19 cases in Congo were rising exponentially.

Low vaccination rates have left the country vulnerable to more contagious strains, including the highly-infectious Delta variant.

“For several weeks we have seen a persistent rise in the number of people infected,” Tshisekedi said in a televised address. “We need to react with speed, and above all, methodically.”