A global map of confirmed COVID-19 cases as of March 11, 2020. Credit: The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Coronavirus responses in five countries with significant Zimbabwean populations: By Nevanji Madanhire There were 17 confirmed cases of coronavirus in South Africa as of Thursday, March 12. The country recorded its first local transmission case after a man tested positive without travelling abroad. An urgent Cabinet meeting would be convened on Sunday, 15 March, to discuss a response on how to contain the pandemic, according to Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu. The strategy so far is self-isolation of people infected with the virus and those they have been in contact with. By March 12, more than 100 people were in quarantine. A tracer team with epidemiologists and clinicians is on alert to trace those who have been in contact with affected people to encourage them to self-isolate. Travel restrictions So far the South African government has not announced any plans to restrict movement or stop public gatherings. The Department of Health has urged citizens, companies and all authorities to take the necessary precautions to limit potential exposure. However, workplaces or social gatherings are already implementing measures to reduce potential exposure to the virus. South African banks, where millions of customers make their way to branches to transact – often in close proximity, and interacting with bank employees have taken the lead in this regard. Many banks and universities have disabled biometric systems and issued alcohol swipes to all branches to clean surfaces after use by each customer. Bank employees across the board have been restricted from travelling outside the country. The banks have vowed to follow World Health Organisation guidelines relating to cleanliness and hygiene practices. Bank workers can also work from anywhere including from home. — https://businesstech.co.za/ Public information dissemination and problems of fake news There are daily briefings from the health department, which confirm all the facts and figures relating to coronavirus. Since the beginning of March, both President Cyril Ramaphosa and Health Minister Zweli Mkhize have implored South Africans to avoid sharing fake news. Yet false information abounds shared through social media. But fact-finding group AfricaCheck has been working to fact-check information and disseminate the fact to the public. Some of the fake news that had spread in South Africa was that a cure had been found in Ghana and that some detergents such as bleach and Dettol treated Covid-19. The truth as disseminated through official sources is that there is currently no vaccine available to treat the illness — https://www.thesouthafrican.com/ Number of cases and quarantine measures in place Confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK reached 460 on Tuesday 11 March 2020. A total of eight people have died so far but Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the peak of the UK outbreak was expected “in a matter of a couple of months”. The UK remained in the “containment” stage of its response to the virus but Prime Minister Boris Johnson was expected to announce a switch to tactics aimed at delaying the spread of the virus rather than containing it. The delay phase will see a mixture of the same advice given out, such as encouraging the washing of hands regularly, while also introducing social restriction measures to slow the spread of the virus. The end goal of the delay phase is to slow the rate of coronavirus being contracted and allow the National Health Service (NHS) to clear the annual winter pressure it faces. It would also provide a buffer to allow a possible vaccine to be found. Travel restrictions The Foreign Office has warned Britons to avoid large parts of northern Italy under a coronavirus quarantine, unless their journey is essential. Those travelling from locked-down areas have also been advised to self-isolate if they returned to the UK in the last 14 days – even if they have shown no symptoms. Travellers from the rest of Italy are only told to self-isolate and to call emergency health services if they have a cough, fever or shortness of breath. British nationals are still able to depart Italy without restriction, but some airlines – including easyJet and British Airways – have cancelled several flights to and from affected areas. Oliver Dowden, the culture secretary, told BBC Radio 5 Live “enhanced measures” were in place to screen passengers from Italy – but the only one he identified was training airline staff to spot the symptoms of Covid-19. Public Health England said passengers on flights from northern Italy are also issued with information about symptoms and necessary actions to take.