Covid cases are on the rise in Kinshasa, and authorities worried about latest uptick

After a period of relative calm, Kinshasa is seeing an upsurge in COVID-19 cases. 

Fears of a new pandemic outbreak are sparked by this. There have been 82 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Kinshasa and Lualaba, according to the latest epidemiological bulletin from the technical office of the response.

For some time now, the two regions have been compiling lists of new coronavirus cases. Authorities are becoming increasingly concerned, notably in Lualaba, where a medical reinforcement team was immediately dispatched.

The authorities in Kinshasa are strengthening their appeals for adherence to the custom of respecting border gestures. Lualaba, with approximately 5,500 positive cases for Covid-19 thus far, is the 5th most impacted city in the country, after only the capital city of Kongo (5,666 cases), region of Haut-Katanga (6,614 cases), as well as North Kivu (10,194 cases).

Since April 2021, the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has implemented as well as operationalized the immunization policy. There is a 2.33 percent immunization rate in the country today. For the new coronavirus vaccine, the Extended Vaccination Program (EPI) lists 418 locations across 15 provinces.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been plaguing the DRC since March of 2020. Response teams around the country have documented 89,000 cases. More than 1,000 persons lost their lives in total.

The State's actions have been scaled back. People who have received all of their recommended vaccinations are allowed to travel freely around the country without having to submit to the Covid-19 test. For those who haven't been vaccinated, the Covid-19 travel test is still required.