JOHANNESBURG – Police fired tear gas at a crowd of Kenyan ferry commuters as the country’s first day of a coronavirus curfew slid into chaos.
Elsewhere, officers were captured in mobile phone footage whacking people with batons. Virus prevention measures have taken a violent turn in parts of Africa as countries impose lockdowns and curfews or seal off major cities.
Health experts say the virus’ spread, though still at an early stage on the continent, resembles that of Europe, adding to widespread anxiety.
Cases across Africa were set to jump above 4,000 on Saturday. Abuses of the new measures by authorities are an immediate concern.