Coronavirus: Madagascar Returns To Full Lockdown Amid Increasing Cases

A new outbreak of Coronavirus cases has led the Malagasy authorities to place the capital Antananarivo under a new lock, two months after the relaxation of restrictions, the presidency announced on Sunday.

“The Analamanga region (under which the capital is located) has returned to complete containment, ” the presidency said in a statement. According to the same press release, no traffic will be authorized in or out of the region from Monday until July 20 and a strict curfew will be imposed on those who circulate on the street. “Only one person per household is allowed to go out on the street between 6:00 (04:00 GMT) and 12:00 (10:00 GMT),” the statement said.

The measures were taken “due to the spread of the epidemic and the increase in cases of COVID-19,” added the presidential document. Used to recording dozens of cases of coronavirus per day, Madagascar has seen an exponential increase in daily numbers in recent days, reaching a record 216 cases on Saturday. The last count came after 675 people were tested. So far, nearly 24,000 tests have been carried out on the impoverished island with a total of 2,941 confirmed cases of coronavirus on the entire large island.