Introduction: COVID-19 and the Law in Africa

Abstract

Following its arrival in African countries in February 2020, COVID-19 has severely tested fragile health systems and economies. Since then, it has taken a heavy toll on individual lives and collective wellbeing. In late February 2021, “all 47 countries [in the World Health Organization (WHO) African region] had reported a total of 2,789,965 confirmed cases and 71,204 deaths with case fatality rate of 2.6%”. 1 With limited availability of vaccines and the spread of variants, the WHO concluded in April 2021 that “the risk associated with further spread of the SARS-CoV-2 VOCs in the African Region is currently assessed as high to very high for the overall population and very high for vulnerable individuals”. 2 The COVID-19 pandemic and the responses to it have generated common challenges and tensions, particularly concerning the relationship between public health measures on the one hand and the need to protect human

Description

Keywords

COVID-19, South Africa, Law, Health systems

Citation

Durojaye, E. et al. (2021) Introduction: COVID-19 and the Law in Africa. Journal of African Law, 65, S2. pp. 173 - 180. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021855321000437