DR Congo to put virus epicentre under lockdown

Democratic Republic of Congo’s area of Gombe, in the capital Kinshasa, will be placed on a two-week lockdown starting Monday.

The area is deemed to be the country’s coronavirus epicentre.

Only health workers will be allowed to move. Essential services and some private businesses will also be allowed to operate during the lockdown.

The Governor of Kinshasa, Gentini Ngobila, made the announcement on Thursday evening.

Gombe is the area where many expats live in the city.

On March 27, the governor reversed his decision to put Kinshasa under a complete lockdown fearing a rise in insecurity and prices of basic commodities.

Many residents in the capital think that a lockdown on only one out of 24 municipalities is insufficient to curb the spread of the virus.

The country has reported 134 coronavirus cases to date including 13 deaths.