AFRICA’S GOVERNANCE RESPONSE TO COVID-19 | PRELIMINARY REPORT 2020 The distribution of infections, deaths and recoveries per country is presented in figure 2. You will observe that the countries with the highest infection rates and deaths are spread almost uniformly across geography and economic groups (low, lower-middle and upper middle income). You will note, however, that while Egypt and South Africa have comparable infection rates, Egypt has more than double the number of deaths (fatality rate as calculated from deaths as a percentage of the total number of reported infections). Figure 2: Distribution of COVID-19 Infections and Deaths per Country – 16 May 2020 Source: APRM, May 2020 According to WHO, the total tests conducted in Africa up to 16th May 2020 are 1,409,732, out of which 5.79% are Covid-19 confirmed cases. This may suggest that Africa has a Covid-19 prevalence 5.79% at the current rate of transmission and rate of testing across the continent. This low rate observed on the continent compared to the other regions of the world, is the result of early measures taken by African countries individually and collectively to break the spread of the pandemic. These measures include quarantine and partial/total lockdown among others clear. These freedoms have now been rolled back and limited as countries pursue public health and safety goals needed to curb the pandemic. But some countries have opted for a different approach to dealing with the Covid-19 threat. Countries such as Sweden, Iceland, Belarus, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan have not imposed any lockdown. There is strong evidence to suggest that despite their continued openness, their results have been as good and, in some cases, better than those of countries on lockdown. And these countries have achieved these results without having to endure the huge socio-economic cost being experienced across the world. 17