A proposed framework to limit post-lockdown community transmission of COVID-19 in Africa

Abstract

As of March 11, 2021, 3,992,044 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and 106,615 deaths (case fatality rate 2.67%) have been reported on the African continent. In March 2020, even before the first case of COVID-19 was registered, some African countries implemented total lockdown measures, which limited movement of people, banned mass gatherings, and closed schools and borders. However, these control measures, which affect individuals and society's well-being, cannot be implemented for a long time. There is an urgent need for a robust framework to guide African countries to make evidence-based decisions on easing these restrictive measures and reapply them when the infection rates increase significantly. This article presents a proposed framework to guide lockdown easing while limiting the community spread of COVID-19 in Africa. Due to lack of information on the impact of relaxing restrictions on peoples' movement on the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent for COVID-19) and how businesses will respond, it is almost clear that there is no single grand lockdown exit strategy. African governments should develop flexible, iterative lockdown exit plans based on epidemiological disease data, economic indicators, and peoples' views to inform decisions, all of which are paramount for success. A phased approach of changes and willingness to adapt methods will allow governments to minimize the pandemic's adverse impact and respond accordingly as new control tools become available.