Rusizi displaces 6000 families, at least 52 killed in DR Congo
The Briefing Issue #76, Monday, April 20, 2020
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BURUNDI IN THE HEADLINES
Dear Readers
This Monday the Burundi National Police reports that over 27,000 people are affected by Sunday’s floods that caused the Rusizi River to overflow in Bujumbura. In localities such as Gatumba, homes have been flooded, in the morning the police agents were still coordinating the rescue, and confirmed that there were no human casualties.
Meanwhile on the other side of Lake Tanganyika, in DRC the neighbor territory of Uvira the death toll of the last Friday floods increased to 52. Following the torrential rains, the Mulongwe and Kavimvira rivers overflowed their beds and invaded entire neighborhoods 77,790 people were affected, according to the provincial government of South Kivu.
On the shores of Lake Tanganyika in Bujumbura, several businesses have already closed due to rising waters. Some homes are also threatened.
Experts and administrative authorities ask people to always respect a length of 150 meters between the lake and their construction as provided for by the land code in force.
READ ALSO: Water level variations in Lake Tanganyika raise concerns
IN THE WEEKEND
Election
On Saturday in Musaga (Bujumbura), a group of UPRONA party members led by Isidore Mbayahaga announced that they don’t recognize Gaston Sindimwo as the presidential candidate.
They emphasized that the mandate of the party’s leaders ended on September 14, 2019, they are illegal. They invited their followers to vote for Evariste Ndayishimiye (Cndd-Fdd candidate).
Abel Gashatsi, the current president of UPRONA, condemned an attempt to weaken the Rwagasore’s party using former members to tarnish its image. According to him, these people are funded by executives from the Cndd-Fdd party.
COVID-19 Burundi Updates
The Ministry of Health announced in a press release this Friday, April 17 that on the 4 patients under medical supervision, the results of the control tests returned negative to the COVID-19 ". Among the 75 people who were tested, 1 case returned positive to COVID-19.
Thanks for reading!
Fabrice Iranzi,
RegionWeek.com
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IN THE REGION
A majority of Kenyans are worried about the COVID-19 situation in the country, a survey released Sunday by Infotrak shows. The findings came as the Ministry of Health announced that the number of deaths in the country had risen to 14 while the number of infections hit 270. The number of recovered cases is 67. Health Chief Administrative Secretary Mercy Mwangangi told journalists at the daily briefing that the ministry had tested 1,330 people in the last 24 hours and eight of them turned positive for COVID-19. (The East African)
Uganda is set to release ten people today, Monday, April 20 from Entebbe Grade B hospital after recovering fully from coronavirus. Their discharge today will bring the total number of recoveries to 38, against 17 active cases. The new recoveries include five Watoto choir members, three of their caretakers and the boda boda man who had been admitted with COVID-19, according to reports. (Pmdaily)
Eighty-Four (84) new coronavirus infections have been recorded in Tanzania, raising the total number of positive cases to 254, health minister Ummy Mwalimu has said on, Monday, April 20. Ms. Mwalimu said that on the same day, three people had succumbed to the virus in Dar es Salaam. The health minister further confirmed that 16 of the new cases were from Zanzibar as announced earlier on in the day by Zanzibar’s health minister.
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