Virus prevention measures turn violent in parts of Africa

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By CARA ANNA

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Police fired tear gas at a crowd of Kenyan ferry commuters as the country’s first day of a coronavirus curfew slid into chaos. Elsewhere, officers were captured in mobile phone footage whacking people with batons.

Virus prevention measures have taken a violent turn in parts of Africa as countries impose lockdowns and curfews or seal off major cities. Health experts say the virus’ spread, though still at an early stage, resembles the arc seen in Europe, adding to widespread anxiety. Cases across Africa were set to climb above 4,000 on Saturday.

Abuses of the new measures by authorities are an immediate concern.

Minutes after South Africa’s three-week lockdown began Friday, police screamed at homeless people in downtown Johannesburg and went after some with batons. Some citizens reported the police use of rubber bullets. Fifty-five people across the country were arrested.



South African National Defence Forces take up positions outside the hostel in a densely populated Alexandra township east of Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, March 28, 2020. South Africa went into a nationwide lockdown for 21 days in an effort to control the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)


Read more: https://apnews.com/b5a1291ac10887ef55eabbaf53e94daf

[BusyBeingBest]

1. The African continent is in deep trouble.

I read somewhere that they have like one or two ventilators for millions of people in some countries.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. Some proud Deplorables will cheer

The true scale of the outbreak of a mysterious SARS-like virus in China is likely far bigger than officially reported, scientists have warned, as countries ramp up measures to prevent the disease from spreading.

Good. And South Korea too. Let them all go meet their makers.
9 posted on 1/20/2020, 6:06:24 AM by MarMema

[BusyBeingBest]

3. They're sick fucks. I'm not surprised.

[milestogo]

4. But they are a few weeks behind us so they have the advantage of seeing what happens

when you don't lock things down early. Some countries have started locking things down when they have only a handful of cases.

[jb5150]

6. Sadly, we had that advantage too ....

…………..

[milestogo]

7. Yeah but we have a president who is an idiot.

[moonscape]

8. My first thought as CV spread was how

desperate this was going to be for Africa. It's hard to fathom and makes me weep. I have. Literally.

[47of74]

5. That's coming attractions for here I'm afraid

The Ku Klux Klan wing of law enforcement will see orders as an excuse to wipe their asses with the Constitution even if the Governor/Mayor/County Board/etc says in the order that it does not give authorities the power to violate people's constitutional rights.

[Warpy]

9. As usual, it looks like the police were the problem.

Of course there was chaos, there's always chaos on the first day of everything.

In addition, I'm sure some people are having apartheid flashbacks.

Cops need to fall back and let people sort themselves out. Then they can identify the scofflaws and deal with those.

Cops need to drop the us vs. them mentality against the larger population. It does neither them nor us any good.