Man Eaten by Crocodile After Violating Coronavirus Lockdown
A man in Africa violated a government lockdown order and was subsequently killed and eaten by a crocodile while attempting to go fishing.
The BBC reported the animal attack happened Wednesday along Rwanda’s Nyabarongo River.
“He had broken the stay-home rule, he’s among very few people here who are not cooperating with the lockdown to stop the virus,” said Alice Kayitesi, mayor of the southern Kamonyi district.
The man’s identity has not been released.
Rwanda, a country of roughly 12 million people, has confirmed 40 cases of COVID-19, which is the highest in the region.
The BBC also reported police in Rwanda shot and killed two men in the southern district of Nyanza after an argument about the government-imposed lockdown.
Those deaths have not been confirmed by authorities.
Other than the man killed by the crocodile, no official deaths in the country have been reported relating to the coronavirus so far.
Officials in Rwanda have enacted a mandatory two-week lockdown of all non-essential businesses.
Additionally, the country has banned travel between different cities and closed its borders.
Aside from exceptions for workers moving goods around the country, all citizens are required to self-isolate for a period of two weeks
“The cooperation of Rwandans and residents is greatly appreciated, as are the efforts of those working hard in the health sector,” Rwanda’s health authorities said in a statement Tuesday.
Rwanda shares borders with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Uganda and Tanzania.
Its neighbors have reported a combined 26 cases.
Meanwhile, more than 2,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed across the continent of Africa.
South Africa has reported more than 700 cases of the coronavirus, with no deaths, while Ghana has reported 68 cases with three deaths.
Algeria has been hit by the virus particularly hard, as the country has reported more than 300 cases with 21 deaths, according to John Hopkins University.
Egypt is also struggling with a surge in COVID-19 cases.
More than 450 Egyptians have tested positive for the coronavirus and 21 people have now died.
Quartz Africa reported that the country of Malawi has declared a national disaster, despite the southeastern African nation reporting no cases of the virus.
The country has banned all public gatherings of more than 100 people, closed all schools and limited church services, weddings, funerals and other potential points of public contact in an attempt to proactively limit the spread of COVID-19.
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