The Cameroonian minister of public health Manaouda Malachie proposes the loosening of some Covid-19 measures. “We have submitted to the Prime Minister proposals to loosen certain measures. For example, we ask that masks not be required in open spaces,” he said.

The member of the government, however, insisted that these proposals do not imply that Covid-19 is over. As proof, a few days ago a sub-variant of the Omicron variant was discovered in China. Even if the minister recognizes that the contaminations of this variant "do not involve hospitalizations and deaths," he underlines that vigilance remains necessary.

According to him, Cameroon cannot afford to lift the restrictive measures as some countries like France have done. "They have a good rate of vaccination coverage," explains the Minister of Public Health, while in Cameroon, "we are still at 10% of vaccination coverage for target persons”.

The barrier measures against the coronavirus were decided two years ago by the Prime Minister, after the first cases were discovered in Cameroon. They included the systematic wearing of masks, the limitation to 50 people in public events, the reduction of students in classrooms and the return of the half-time system in education.

Although most of these measures are no longer observed, they have never been officially lifted.

Ludovic Amara