A three-month “state of emergency” has been declared by President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo, just after the West-African nation announced that it has recorded 36 confirmed cases of Coronavirus and two deaths from the disease.
Gnassingbe who declared a nationwide curfew between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. local time starting from Thursday April 2, disclosed that an anti-pandemic special unit of 5,000 people from defense and security forces has been set-up to observe the measures to fight the epidemic.
The Togolese President said;
“I am addressing you in a very particular context where the world is faced with an unprecedented coronavirus-caused health crisis.
“In view of the seriousness of the situation and in keeping with the constitutional provisions, I declare a three-month health emergency in Togo.”
Gnassingbe stated that the operational capacities of the health sector have been reinforced and mobile laboratories will be deployed to provide “confidential, rapid and free tests for COVID-19” for people across the country.
Asides releasing a national fund of 400 billion CFA francs (about 665 million U.S. dollars) to ensure the socio-economic measures is carried out, the Togolese leader who won a fourth-term in February disclosed that the charges for water and electricity supplies will be free for the population during the health emergency. A special measure has also been taken to support farming so as to ensure food self-sufficiency in the country.
