Back in Paris shortly before the end of year celebrations, after a brief stay in his native Niger, Seidik Abba, independent journalist and consultant, experiences a slight fatigue to which is quickly added a bout of fever. Very quickly, the verdict falls: it is positive for Covid-19. “The problem in Niger he told us, it is compliance with barrier measures. People don’t wear masks and continue to shake hands. And if you refuse to shake hands with someone, it can be frowned upon. I’m sure I nabbed covid-19 while shaking someone’s hand. “
A rebound in the epidemic
Confined and taken care of immediately upon his arrival in Paris, our colleague is now practically out of the woods. Others were not so lucky. This is particularly the case of Soumaïla Cissé, the leader of the Malian opposition, who contracted the virus in Niger, during his tour of thanks to the heads of state of the region who fought for his release. The leader of the URD, the Union for the Republic and Democracy, died on December 25 in Paris, swept away by the Covid-19.
(Re) see: “Mali: the opponent Soumaïla Cissé succumbs to the coronavirus”
In recent weeks, we have indeed witnessed an upsurge in the coronavirus epidemic in Niger. At the end of the Council of Ministers of December 23, the government announced a new series of measures intended to deal with what could be compared to a second wave of the pandemic. Thus, bars, nightclubs and performance venues have been closed since December 24, for a renewable period of fifteen days.
Strict compliance with barrier measures is recommended in restaurants. Gatherings are prohibited during deaths, weddings or even baptisms. And the State undertakes to provide masks to people declared positive and to all their contacts, during the period of medical monitoring, in order to break the chains of transmission of the virus.
The 8 regions of the country are concerned
According to our colleagues from the Nigerien Press Agency, the government justifies these new measures in particular by the increase in the number of cases of contamination in the Tillabéri region, in the southwest of the country. As of December 21, 183 new cases have been recorded in this region, including 118 from the city of Ayérou, a locality located on the Malian border and close to the gold site of Intahakan, in the circle of Gao, Mali.
For the Nigerien authorities, the maintenance of cross-border traffic and the poor support of the local executive in managing the situation, undoubtedly explain the increase in cases of contamination in the region.
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Last November, Niger had already experienced a significant increase in the number of coronavirus infections. All eight regions of the country were then affected by this resurgence of the pandemic, with the capital Niamey as the epicenter – alone, it concentrated 77% of cases of contamination.
The Nigerien Minister of Health, Idi Illiassou Maïnassara then declared that “the number of monthly cases recorded rose from 41 in August, to 327 in November, ie eight times more cases. During the first half of December, the situation worsened, forcing the government to advance the date for the closure of schools by five days, from December 17 to December 1.is January 2021.
Maintaining the presidential and legislative elections
In the latest package of measures announced by the Nigerien government, the administrative and municipal authorities are invited to ensure the strict application of barrier gestures and preventive measures in urban and rural markets. The ministers are in charge of the same tasks with regard to public administrations, their branches, as well as private companies.
In places of worship, public transport and stations, wearing a mask, washing hands or using hydroalcoholic gels and regular disinfection of places are now mandatory. In addition, a communication strategy has been put in place as well as a readjustment to the current context of already existing messages and supports.
(Re) see: “Niger: pending the results of the presidential election”
Announced just days before the presidential and legislative elections of December 27, all these measures have not stopped the current electoral campaigns. The authorities simply indicated that they counted “On the high sense of responsibility of political leaders and their collaboration to limit the spread of the virus. “ A choice which illustrates the difficulty of the Nigerien authorities in reconciling health constraints and the smooth running of electoral campaigns.
“The power had to juggle, considers our colleague Seidik Abba. People had started to say that the candidate in power, Mohamed Bazoum, had already campaigned and that he was even starting a second campaign. If we suspended the campaign for the other candidates, it would have created suspicion. “ The campaigns therefore continued and the ballot was held as planned. Many now expect an explosion in cases of contamination.
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