SADC REGIONAL RESPONSE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC - Report on the COVID-19 Pandemic in the SADC Region with a Speci c focus on its Impact on Fisheries ...
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SADC REGIONAL RESPONSE
TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Report on the COVID-19 Pandemic in the SADC Region
with a Specific focus on its Impact on Fisheries
and Aquaculture Value Chains
Bulletin No. 6
#COVID19SADC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................................... 4
1 Global Outlook ................................................................................................................................................................. 4
2 COVID-19 Global Epidemiological Summary by 30 May 2020 ...................................................................... 4
3 73rd World Health Assembly ..................................................................................................................................... 4
4 Outlook on the African Continent and SADC Region ....................................................................................... 4
5 Outlook in the SADC Region ...................................................................................................................................... 4
6 Impact from the Economic Perspective ................................................................................................................. 5
7 The Disruption of Value Chains during COVID-19; The Case of the Fisheries and Aquaculture
Sector ................................................................................................................................................................................ 6
8 Developments Regarding Cross Border Transport Movement ..................................................................... 6
9 Resource Mobilization .................................................................................................................................................. 7
10 Decisions made by SADC Council of Ministers Meeting of 29 May 2020 .................................................. 7
ABOUT SADC
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is an organisation founded and maintained by
countries in southern Africa that aim to further the socio-economic, political and security cooperation among
its Member States and foster regional integration in order to achieve peace, stability and wealth. The Member
States are: Angola, Botswana, Union of Comoros, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho,
Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania,
Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Information in this publication may be reproduced, used and shared with full acknowledgement of the SADC
Secretariat.
@2020 SADC Secretariat
PAGE 2 SADC REGIONAL RESPONSE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC: BULLETIN NO. 6
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Bulletin 6 of the SADC Regional Response to
COVID-19 provides highlights on recent tools and Key recommendations from the report include;
guidelines released by the World Health
Organization (WHO). These include a case report The gradual resumption of economic activities to
form for a suspected case of Multi system be conducted simultaneously with the scaling up
inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) as well as guidance of the testing capacity in areas where public
in recommendations for mass gatherings, which is a health measures are being lifted.
resource to be used by Member States. The report
further highlights the resolution adopted by the The testing policy should be informed by the
World Health Assembly (WHA). The resolution seeks epidemiological scenarios in the country and
to establish the origins of the novel coronavirus as must follow WHO recommendations in terms of
well as initiate an “impartial, independent and prioritization of populations and individuals and
comprehensive evaluation” on the response of the priority should be given to testing of health care
WHO to the coronavirus crisis. workers, communities with clusters and exposed
individuals in quarantine.
The global, continental and regional situation of
COVID-19 is also presented. The Bulletin also present Ensuring supply chain access with consideration
the impact of COVID-19 on value chains, with of gender, and, for those operations exporting
emphasis on the fisheries and aquaculture value within the region, continent and overseas,
chain which was deliberated during the virtual ensuring continued access to and cooperation
meeting of Ministers responsible for Agriculture and from officials at ports, rail and border crossings so
Food Security, and Fisheries and Aquaculture held they can maintain their sales.
on 22 May 2020. Further, the Bulletin provides
updates on the implementation of the SADC Continuous Implementation of the SADC
Guidelines on the Harmonization and Facilitation of guidelines on facilitation of cross-border
Cross Border Transport Operations across the region, transportation with emphasis on adopting
and on the Secretariat’s resource mobilization efforts harmonized test protocols including mutual
towards COVID -19. recognition of test results and agreement on
validity period of test result.
SADC REGIONAL RESPONSE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC: BULLETIN NO. 6 PAGE 3
1. GLOBAL OUTLOOK COVID-19. The WHA adopted a Resolution on
coronavirus response. The resolution seeks to
On 20 May 2020, WHO issued an alert on suspected establish the origins of the novel coronavirus as well
cases of multi-system inflammatory syndrome as initiate an “impartial, independent and
(MIS-C) in children. MIS is a condition where different comprehensive evaluation” on the response of the
body organs become inflamed, including the heart, WHO to the coronavirus crisis.
lungs, kidneys, brain, skin eyes or gastrointestinal
system. This inflammatory condition was first 4.OUTLOOK ON THE
reported in children in the United States and it’s now
increasingly reported by other countries around the AFRICAN CONTINENT
world. It has been established that many children
with the multisystem inflammatory syndrome had
AND SADC REGION
the virus that cause COVID-19, or have been around The past week marked 3 months since the COVID-19
someone with COVID-19. MIS-C can be serious, even hit the shores of the continent. In addition, this was
deadly, but most children who were diagnosed with the commemoration of Africa Week, which falls in
this condition get better with medical care. this period of COVID-19. With around half of the
countries on the continent having community
WHO Member States are now encouraged to report transmission, concentrated mainly in major cities,
suspected cases of MIC-C by using the case report Africa is the least-affected region globally in terms of
form on this link: the number of cases and deaths reported by WHO.
Africa has just 1.5 percent of the world’s reported
https://www.who.int/publications-detail/case-repor cases of COVID-19, and less than 0.1 percent of the
t-form-for-suspected-cases-of-multisystem-inflamm world’s deaths. Testing capacity in Africa is still being
atory-syndrome-(mis)-in-children-and-adolescents-t ramped up and there is a likelihood that some cases
emporally-related-to-covid-19 may be missed. But even so, Africa appears to have
so far been spared the scale of outbreaks we have
WHO has also published guidance on key planning seen in other regions of the world.
recommendations for mass gatherings in the
context of COVID-19, The purpose of this document Many health experts including the WHO, attribute
is to provide guidance to governments, health this apparent success in the control of Covid-19 at
authorities and national or international organizers this point in time to some of the following factors;
of mass gatherings on containing risks of COVID-19
transmission associated with mass gathering events. Countries across Africa have garnered a great
deal of experience from tackling infectious
https://www.who.int/publications-detail/key-planni diseases like polio, measles, Ebola, yellow fever,
ng-recommendations-for-mass-gatherings-in-the-c influenza and many more and as such have used
ontext-of-the-current-covid-19-outbreak that experience in addressing COVID-19.
2. COVID-19 GLOBAL Africa’s knowledge and experience of
suppressing infectious diseases has been critical
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL to rapidly scaling up an agile response to
SUMMARY BY 30 MAY 2020 COVID-19.
Countries also worked together with Africa CDC
and WHO to extend training for laboratory
technicians for detection of COVID-19 and to
build up the national capacity across the region
Progress in epidemic response on the continent
All countries in Africa now have a preparedness
and response plan in place, compared with less
than a dozen in the first few weeks of the
pandemic.
48 countries in the region have a community
engagement plan in place, compared with only
25 countries 10 weeks ago
51 countries have laboratory-testing capacity for
3. 73RD WORLD COVID-19, compared with forty (40) countries 10
HEALTH ASSEMBLY weeks ago.
Following a series of consultations with Member 5.OUTLOOK IN THE SADC
States on the holding of the Seventy-third World
Health Assembly. World Health Assembly was held REGION
from 18-19 May 2020. The objective was to discuss
and adopt a resolution to find a way to address the As at 31 May 2020, COVID-19 cases in the SADC
pandemic. The meeting was conducted virtually region stood at 39,662, with 817 deaths and 19,150
through a secured access to videoconference. WHO recoveries. Seychelles has become COVID-19 free
Member States had the opportunity to share their with no active cases. Mauritius and South Africa have
experiences on COVID-19 and the Director General significantly increased testing which is an important
of the WHO presented the global report on aspect of managing COVID-19.
PAGE 4 SADC REGIONAL RESPONSE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC: BULLETIN NO. 6
RECOMMENDATIONS In the outlook, the increase in global economic
activity and the additional voluntary cuts by OPEC+
The easing of lockdown measures should be countries that include Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the
conducted in a phased approach as advised in United Arab Emirate (UAE) in short to medium term
the last edition of this report. is expected to support the oil price and ensure
market stability.
The gradual resumption of economic activities to
be conducted simultaneously with the scaling As the economies open up, positive investor
up of the testing capacity in areas where public sentiments saw most equity markets recording
health measures are being lifted. gains. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange as a proxy
of performance of capital markets in the SADC
The testing policy should be informed by the region, has seen the All Share Index surpassing 52
epidemiological scenarios in the country and 000 points on 20 May 2020, a level not seen since
must follow WHO recommendations in terms of early March 2020 before the lockdown. Meanwhile,
prioritization of populations and individuals. investors await the central bank's monetary policy
meeting on Thursday during which policymakers are
The highest priority for testing should be given expected to cut the interest rate again to further
to localities with higher clusters of cases, support the economy.
healthcare workers and exposed individuals in Fig 3: Johannesburg Stock Exchange All Share Index as at 20 May 2020
quarantine.
54000
52000
50000
6. IMPACT FROM THE 48000
46000
ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE 44000
42000
40000
The reopening of economies and accompanying 38000
easing of lockdown restrictions has resulted in
increased economic activity globally and regionally.
However, there is an increase in human movements
and interactions which can trigger an outbreak if not
managed properly through continued adherence to Source: JSE, 2020
strict health and safety protocols. Additionally,
countries have made considerable progress in A number of the biggest stock exchanges in the
enhancing the preparedness of their health systems. world performed well on the back of positive
However, more needs to be done as the reopening investor sentiments as countries re-open their
of economies is expected to accelerate the rate of economies. In the US, Wall Street closed deeply in
infections thereby exerting more pressure on the the green and the S&P closed at its highest level
health systems. since early March, as investors’ confidence over a
recovering economy was boosted by a 5 percent rise
The restoration of more than 20 percent of in WTI oil prices on firmer demand and a surprise
economic activity globally will see the surge in oil drop in US stockpile. The Dow Jones added 369
demand which will further support the oil price as points or 1.5 percent to 24,576. The S&P 500 gained
which earlier responded positively to the 49 points or 1.7 percent to 2972, whilst the Nasdaq
production cuts effected by Oil Producing and climbed 191 points or 2.1 percent to 9376. In Britain,
Exporting Countries (OPEC+) on 1 May 2020. the FTSE 100 advanced 65 points or 1.1 percent to
Additionally, massive production cuts from close at 6,067 on 20 May 2020, its highest level since
countries outside the OPEC+ agreement such as 29 April 2020. The CAC 40 in France erased early
United States and Canada will help alleviate a global losses to close 0.9 percent higher at 4,497 on
glut and rebalance a market stymied by months of Wednesday, booking its second straight day of gains
low demand and a devastating rout that saw prices amid a general improvement in investors’ mood.
drop by as much as two-thirds this year. Between 13 Positive economic outlook and sentiments as
and 20 May 2020, prices of the West Texas economies reopen were reflected in oil price
Intermediate (WTI), Brent and OPEC Basket crude developments and performance of stock exchanges.
oils increased by 32.4 per cent, 22.5 per cent and However, a resurgence of COVID-19 remains a major
22.3 per cent to $33.49, $35.75 and $28.43, as at 20 risk factor for demand in the outlook.
May 2020 respectively (See Fig 1).
Fig 1: Brent, OPEC basket, and WTI Crude Oil Prices as at 20 May 2020 7.THE DISRUPTION OF VALUE
80
60 CHAINS DURING COVID-19;
40
20
THE CASE OF THE FISHERIES
0
-20
AND AQUACULTURE SECTOR
-40
The fisheries sector is one of those that have been
28 Apr 2020
22 Feb 2020
04 May 2020
10 May 2020
16 May 2020
30 Dec 2019
05 Jan 2020
11 Jan 2020
17 Jan 2020
23 Jan 2020
29 Jan 2020
04 Feb 2020
10 Feb 2020
16 Feb 2020
28 Feb 2020
05 Mar 2020
11 Mar 2020
17 Mar 2020
23 Mar 2020
29 Mar 2020
04 Apr 2020
10 Apr 2020
16 Apr 2020
22 Apr 2020
impacted by COVID-19 through changing consumer
demands, market access or logistical problems
related to transportation and border restrictions.
WTI
Brent
OPEC Basket
This is already having damaging effects on fishers
Source: US Energy Information Authority, OPEC and Wall Street Journal, 2020. and fish farmers’ livelihoods, as well as on food
SADC REGIONAL RESPONSE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC: BULLETIN NO. 6 PAGE 5security and nutrition for populations that rely
heavily on fish for animal protein and essential RECOMMENDATIONS
micronutrients.
Prevent border restrictions on trade in fish and
The fishing and fish farming industries, in many fishery products to avoid food shortages in the
countries, are considered critical for food production region, emphasizing that the dissemination of
and supply, hence a need to recognize the sector as information on food related trade measures is
essential, and also recognize the importance of this fundamental.
entire value chain.
Ensuring supply chain access with consideration
7.1 Protecting each stage of the fisheries of gender, and, for those operations exporting
and aquaculture supply chain within the region, continent and overseas,
ensuring continued access to and cooperation
The full range of activities required to deliver fish from officials at ports, rail and border crossings so
and fishery products from production to the final they can maintain their sales.
consumer are complex. Technologies employed in
the region vary from artisanal to highly industrial. Ensuring adherence to the recently approved
Value chains include local, regional and global SADC Guidelines on Harmonization and
markets. Key activities in a fisheries or aquaculture Facilitation of Cross-Border Transport Operations
supply chain are fishing, aquaculture production, across the Regional during the COVID-19
processing, transport, and wholesale and retail Pandemic.
marketing. Each link in the chain is susceptible to
being disrupted or stopped by impacts arising from
COVID-19. If one of these producer-buyer-seller links
is broken by the disease or containment measures, 8. DEVELOPMENTS REGARDING
the outcome will be a cascading chain of disruptions
that will affect the sector’s economy. The desired
CROSS BORDER TRANSPORT
result, human consumption of fish and fishery MOVEMENT
products, can only be achieved by protecting the
producer-buyer-seller links and each stage of the The cross-border transport movement is one of the
supply chain. Therefore, it is essential that each stage essential services that need to be sustained and
of the fisheries and aquaculture food chain be given facilitated during the COVID-19 period in order
all possible protection. ensure timely delivery of essential supplies and
commodities in Member States. More than 80% of
7.2 Proposed Measures imported and exported goods in the SADC region
are transported through the road network.
Ministers responsible for Food Security and The COVID-19 related lockdowns in Member States
Agriculture, and Fisheries and Aquaculture at their and the associated public health measures resulted
Joint Virtual Meeting held on 22 May 2020 approved in significant delays in the movement hauling
response measures to COVID-19 for the fisheries and vehicles and subsequently in the delivery of
aquaculture sector. These measures include those to essential supplies to the point of use.
protect the most-vulnerable through social
protection programmes in targeted fisher An analysis of the implementation of the SADC
communities; supporting small and informal Guidelines on harmonization and facilitation of
businesses through the fish value chains with cross-border operations across the region revealed
grants/payroll and unemployment assistance; that Member States were implementing trade and
providing rapid COVID-19 testing, personal transportation laws and regulation differently
protective equipment (PPEs), and improving during the COVID-19 emergency. Congestions at
hygiene and sanitation, encouraging social border posts were the result of lack of harmonization
distancing at farming, fishing, processing, of public health measures at border posts, such as
distribution and marketing establishments; and testing and quarantine policies.
keeping all players throughout the food value chains
up to date with information related to coronavirus as 8.1 Good practices in cross-border
well as promotion of, and adoption of transportation
nutrition-sensitive production policies and
interventions which remains critical. Despite the challenges some few good practices
have been noted and these include the following: -
Other measures include those directed at
maintaining operations and protecting production Botswana and Zambia cooperated to clear traffic
and income, where Member States are encouraged which had built up at Kazungula during the first
to enable accessing of labour for harvesting and week that Member States implemented national
storage; encourage local production of production COVID-19 measures by joint clearance and
inputs to fill the existing gap due to reduced collaboration between border agencies and the
importations caused by lockdowns). use of the temporary construction bridge;
Other measures to be taken are those intended to DRC and Zambia collaborated in clearing traffic
support the supply chains to ensure that trade flows which had built up at Kasumbalesa by among
continue to be as free as possible, in line with the others simulating One Stop Borders Post
SADC Free Trade Area established under the Protocol operational modalities by allowing Officials to
on Trade (1996), as amended in 2010. operate jointly from each other’s territory and
opening an additional road connection between
the two borders;
PAGE 6 SADC REGIONAL RESPONSE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC: BULLETIN NO. 6Zimbabwe designated and published a map of for drivers and vehicles in interstate transport as
truck stops and garages which could be used by part of COVID-19 response measures..
trucks during COVID-19;
GIZ African Union Border Programme has
Namibia-Public and Private partnership pledged support towards personal protective
constructed a temporary quarantine facility for equipment; cross-border sensitization
trucks in Walvis Bay. The Facility is fully equipped programmes; training on prevention of
with COVID-19 hygiene requirements, resting pandemics at border posts; and training of
facilities, ablution and is secured by the Police border staff on safety guidelines.
who protect drivers, cargo and vehicles; and
African Development Bank (AfDB) has committed
Angola simplified and waived requirements for to support the procurement of PPEs and capacity
submission of stamped original hard copies of building.
documentation and switched to accepting
electronic submissions. 10. DECISIONS MADE BY
RECOMMENDATIONS
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
MEETING OF 29 MAY 2020
Implement the SADC guidelines on facilitation of
cross-border transportation with emphasis on The SADC Council of Ministers meeting was held on
the relay system and COVID-19 testing policy. 29 May 2020 and among others, Council considered
progress and updates on COVID-19 in the SADC
Incorporating the SMART Corridor building region and noted and directed as follows;
blocks that monitor through ICT physical
movement of vehicles/drivers/loads and The Expanded Technical Committee on Health to
documentation flow through ports, borders meet by 5th June 2020 to finalise the revised
weighbridges and COVID-19 test and quarantine Regional Guidelines on Harmonisation and
facilities; and Facilitation of Cross Border Transport Operations
across the Region and the Regional Standard
Encouraging interstate travelling of persons for Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Management
economic growth and poverty alleviation while and Monitoring of Cross Border Road Transport at
containing the spread of the virus once Designated Points of Entry and COVID-19
provisions for safe trade and transport facilitation Checkpoints and report back to Council on 23rd
are in place, which include greater use of ICT, June 2020.
electronic documents and more paperless
operations Secretariat to circulate the compiled list of
regional manufacturers of medical equipment
8.2 Testing Regimes Being Considered to and supplies; and urged Member States to source
address Transport/Trade Bottlenecks Medical Equipment and Supplies from the region.
The Secretariat has developed Revised Guidelines Secretariat to expedite the development of a
and Regional Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) regional electronic tracking and monitoring
for Management and Monitoring of Cross Border system to support the implementation of the
Road Transport at Designated Points of Entry and Standard Operating Procedures;
COVID-19 Checkpoint. The SOP include
recommended testing protocol, mutual recognition Secretariat to coordinate with COMESA and EAC
of test results and ad recommended test validity in the context of the Tripartite arrangement, and
period. These are under review and will be discussed the African Union Commission (AUC) to align and
by the Expanded Technical Committee on the harmonize Guidelines to facilitate trade during
Monitoring of the Protocol on Health at its upcoming the COVID-19 Pandemic; and establish an
virtual meeting on 5 June 2020. online platform which will allow easy access to
information regarding the production and trade
of Medical Equipment and Supplies.
9. RESOURCE MOBILIZATION
Secretariat to review the Preliminary report on
Some International Cooperating Partners (ICPs) have the Socio-economic impact of COVID-19 and its
made commitment to support the following areas in implications on the SADC Region, in light of the
the COVID-19 response: - decisions and new data; and provide progress
with concrete recommendations to Council at its
GIZ has confirmed a response package to support next meeting in August 2020;
the provision of medical equipment and supplies,
disaster risk management initiatives and digital Secretariat to explore the possibility of tapping
infrastructure support, through existing into global resources to assist Member States in
programmes. mitigating the Socio-economic impacts of
COVID-19.
The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)
has confirmed support towards PPEs. Secretariat was mandated to negotiate with
manufacturing companies in India for a
EU has committed additional resources to the preferential dispensation for the SADC Region in
Tripartite Transport and Transit Facilitation the procurement of essential medicines and
Programme to support activities related to trade equipment required for the COVID-19 response
and transport during COVID-19, in particular, the and provide feedback to Member States.
development of an electronic surveillance system
SADC REGIONAL RESPONSE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC: BULLETIN NO. 6 PAGE 7The Peer Review Panel was requested to consider the impact of COVID-19 on the Macroeconomic Convergence (MEC) programme and report to Council in August 2020. Secretariat to finalize the analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 situation on implementation of programmes of the 2020/21 Corporate Plan and the budgetary implications and report to Council in August 2020. In the same meeting, Council also urged Member States to; Consider adopting a regional response approach by sharing information on COVID-19, and jointly manage the COVID-19 pandemic through National COVID-19 Response Centers, and the coordination by the SADC Secretariat; Conduct human resources, supplies and equipment needs projections to enable better planning for response to epidemics and resource mobilization; Strengthen collaboration in the area of innovation, research and coordination on issues related to the fight against COVID-19; and Implement coordinated and synchronised fiscal and monetary measures to mitigate the effect of COVID-19 on the region’s macroeconomic and financial stability. PAGE 8 SADC REGIONAL RESPONSE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC: BULLETIN NO. 6
1 REGION, 16 NATIONS WORKING TOWARDS A COMMON FUTURE
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