Madagascar has reportedly placed its capital, Antananarivo under a new lockdown following a spike in coronavirus infections.
This decision comes after the restrictions were eased two months ago.
The Madagascar Presidency announced in a statement on Sunday, July 5th: “The Analamanga region (under which the capital is situated) is returning to full lockdown,
“No traffic will be allowed in or out of the region starting Monday until July 20 and a strict curfew will be imposed on street movement by people.
“Only one person per household is allowed to go out into the street between 6:00 am (0400 GMT) and 12:00 pm (1000 GMT),
“The measures have been taken “because of the spread of the epidemic and the increase of COVID-19 cases,”
Madagascar has in recent days seen an exponential rise in daily numbers, jumping to a record 216 cases on Saturday. All government meetings will now be held via video conferencing, while court hearings have been suspended till further notice.
Few months ago, President Andry Rajoelina launched a local herbal concoction he claimed prevents and cures the novel coronavirus, however the drink has yet to be approved by international bodies.