The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday warned that the coronavirus could further weaken sub-Saharan Africa's ability to adapt to climate change, as measures to contain the pandemic stretch limited resources, AFP reports.
A recent study on the impact of rising temperatures and extreme weather events on growth suggests sub-Saharan Africa - the region most vulnerable to climate change - will be hit 60% harder than the average for other emerging markets and developing economies.
Details of the analysis show that economic activity in the region can shrink by 1% in a month when that month's average temperature is 0.5 degrees Celsius higher than average.
The IMF, which released the study on Thursday, called on policymakers not to sideline responses to climate change in dealing with coronavirus.
"Containing and managing the Covid-19 pandemic is taking a toll on already limited fiscal space and raising debt vulnerabilities in sub-Saharan Africa," said the report, adding that coronavirus funding could also be used to "simultaneously address climate change".
The IMF pointed to "intrinsic links" between viral outbreaks, environmental destruction and man-made pollution that weakens humans' immune systems.
"Adaptation to climate change would also benefit other development areas, such as resilience to pandemics, and ultimately boost growth," it added.
According to the report, adapting to climate change would cost sub-Saharan Africa between $30 and $50 billion per year for the next decade - the equivalent of around two to 3% of the region's GDP.
Africa CDC to ramp up testing as lockdowns ease
Africa needs to triple its coronavirus testing in the coming months "to move ahead of the curve" as more countries ease lockdown measures, the director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday, according to an AFP report.
The continent has so far conducted 3.4 million tests, a figure that director Dr John Nkengasong told journalists he wants to see climb to 10 million "in the next two or three months".
The current total translates to a rate of 1,700 tests per one million people across Africa, far below the UK's rate of 30 000 tests per million and Italy's 37 000, Nkengasong said.
As of Thursday morning, Africa had recorded 162 000 cases and 4 600 deaths, with an average of 5 400 new cases per day in the past week, Nkengasong said.
Those numbers could spike as countries ease lockdown measures imposed to limit the spread of the virus, he added.
"Our situation will likely get worse before it gets better," Nkengasong warned.
"As we begin to relax some of the lockdown measures, which is part of balancing between saving lives and saving the economy, we expect to see that numbers will increase."
The Africa CDC has so far distributed 2.5 million tests to African Union member states, the director said.
Yet some countries still don't have the kits they need.
South Africa reported last week it had more than 83 000 samples that were unprocessed for lack of supplies.
US picks 5 drug companies to produce vaccine - report
The Trump administration in the US has reportedly selected five companies, including Moderna Inc, AstraZeneca Plc and Pfizer Inc, as the most likely candidates to produce a vaccine for the novel coronavirus.
The other companies are Johnson & Johnson and Merck & Co Inc, Al Jazeera reports, quoting a report by the New York Times.
The selected companies will get access to additional government funds, help in running clinical trials, and financial and logistical support, the paper reported.
There is no approved vaccine for Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus.
The report did not mention potential vaccines from French drugmaker Sanofi, Novavax Inc and Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc - among the more than 100 vaccines in development globally.
The announcement of the decision will be made at the White House in the next few weeks, the report said.
Brazil eases lockdown despite record deaths
Brazil is easing restrictions despite logging record numbers of daily coronavirus fatalities, with President Jair Bolsonaro saying death is "everyone's destiny", Business Inisder reports.
On Wednesday, Brazil recorded the highest number of deaths from the coronavirus in a single day. The 1 349 new fatalities beat the previous record of 1 262 deaths, which was set the day before, according to data from the country's health ministry.
The country's total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases also surpassed 500 000 this week. Only the US has more.
Striking images published late last month showed row upon row of mass graves, laying bare the state of the country's crisis.
Yet on Tuesday, a number of non-essential businesses and venues in the major cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro opened their doors for the first time in months.
They include beaches, churches, car showrooms, and furniture stores, according to CNN.
On Monday, Marcelo Crivella, the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, said that "if all parameters are followed - wearing masks and avoiding crowds - we will return to normal life, to the new normal, in August."
Covid-19 spike in malaysia virus cases as migrants infected
AFP reports that Malaysia confirmed 277 coronavirus cases on Thursday, its biggest daily increase, due to a growing outbreak at a migrant detention centre, sparking accusations the government is failing to protect foreign workers.
The Southeast Asian nation has had a relatively small outbreak, reporting 8 247 cases in total, and imposed a weeks-long lockdown that largely kept the situation under control.
But cases have been increasing rapidly since last week at centres where foreigners are detained on suspicion of being in the country illegally.
Malaysia attracts migrants from poorer Asian countries, including Myanmar, Bangladesh and Indonesia, who work in sectors ranging from agriculture to manufacturing.
Of Thursday's cases, 270 were among foreigners held at one detention centre in the capital Kuala Lumpur, senior health ministry official Noor Hisham Abdullah said.
That centre has now reported more than 600 cases, while over 100 infections have been recorded at several other migrant detention facilities. No new deaths were recorded, leaving the tally at 115.