Coronavirus: Benin president says poverty could hinder prevention

The impact of Covid-19 is continuing to be felt across sub-Saharan Africa:

• In Benin, President Patrice Talon said it would be difficult to enforce prevention measures because people were too poor to cope with them. Recent student protests calling for classes to be halted due to the virus left one dead
• In Nigeria, the petroleum regulator has ordered oil and gas companies to reduce their offshore workforce to try to stop the spread of the disease on rigs
• The African Union intervention force in Somalia is restricting access to its base camp in the capital Mogadishu
• And in South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa travelled to a remote resort in Limpopo province to oversee the release from quarantine of dozens of people who had returned from the Chinese city of Wuhan
• In Kenya, where congregational prayers have been banned, the leader of the Christ is the Answer Ministries (Citam) David Oginde, had the message: "Down but not out".
  In his sermon, the leader of the large evangelical church drew parallels between a biblical story of a prophet hiding away and people going into quarantine.
  "God is greater than Covid-19," he said, and people should remain faithful.
  In Nigeria, the pastors had a similar message. They told those watching online that faith can conquer the fear of coronavirus, the BBC's Nkechi Ogbonna reports from the commercial capital, Lagos.
  In Guinea, Archbishop Vincent Coulibaly was delivering mass on state television, the BBC's Alhassan Sillah reports from Conakry.
  There have also been no Muslim prayer services throughout the country, where the president has banned gatherings for the next two weeks.
  In Ethiopia, some churches have held outdoor services to get around restrictions. People have been sharing images on social media of services taking place with people sitting or standing two metres apart, the BBC's Kalkidan Yibeltal reports from Addis Ababa.
  There are currently nearly 4,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus across Africa and 117 deaths. South Africa is the worst affected country and is currently in the third day of a 21-day lockdown.
  Several other countries have also imposed strict measures limiting the movement of people beyond their own homes.African nations are taking tough action to restrict the spread of coronavirus and are increasingly taking steps to protect their economies too.
  In the latest developments:
  • South Africa announced its first two coronavirus deaths as the country started a three-week lockdown with the army and police officers patrolling the streets. A few people have been arrested: a cyclist and others found with alcohol - the sale of which is banned. Videos circulating on social media show officers at times using force to get people to toe the line
  • Zimbabwe is allowing people to use US dollars again, reversing last year's ban on foreign currencies - a move aimed at supporting the already struggling economy against the effects of coronavirus. The country is to begin a lockdown on Monday
  • A temporary ban in Somalia on the stimulant leaf khat, which coincided with the suspension of international flights to and from capital because of coronavirus, is estimated to have saved people millions of dollars over the last week. Campaigners want the restrictions to be made permanent
  • The president of Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, has recalled disease control experts from overseas and announced new restrictions, including on shipping, and extra funding for Lagos state, which has registered 44 of Nigeria's 65 cases of coronavirus
  • A couple in Tanzania have been arrested for spreading false information - after being heard on a bus saying that coronavirus was a hoax. Dar es Salaam's police chief said the husband and wife were ridiculing the government
  • Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo - one of the continent's biggest cities - will start a three-week lockdown on Saturday. Residents will have to stay at home for four days and then be allowed to stock up on food on the following two days
  • Eritrea, with six confirmed cases, is shutting all schools and all public transport has been banned - as have all commercial flights. Gatherings of more than 10 have also been prohibited
  • Algeria is bringing nine more of provinces under a daily curfew already in place in the capital, Algiers, and the neighbouring province of Blida. It means residents will not be allowed out of their homes between 19:00 and 07:00 local time
  • And the BBC has launched a Africa coronavirus live tracker, which shows that there are so far 3,450 confirmed cases on the continent.