MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th March, 2020) The Democratic Republic of the Congo has declared a state of emergency and put the capital city of Kinshasa under lockdown in response to the coronavirus pandemic reaching the African country, media reported.
According to the latest data, 45 cases of COVID-19 were registered in the DRC days after the first case was reported, of which three were fatal.
The decision was announced on Tuesday by President Felix Tshisekedi, who criticized citizens' lack of adherence to advice from governments and health professionals in recent days, according to Kinshasa Times.
Congolese Armed Forces and police will patrol streets of the 11-million-strong capital to ensure the quarantine is being observed, the newspaper quoted the president as saying.
As of Wednesday, the new coronavirus has infected over 420,000 people worldwide and killed more than 18,900 with over 108,000 recovering, according to Johns Hopkins University.
