32 Congo's Parliamentarians Died of Covid-19

Like many countries around the world, Congo’s legal system has been impacted by the COVID-19.

Thirty-two members of its parliament have died from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, the vice president of the National Assembly said Friday.

Although Congo, like several other African countries, has officially reported relatively few cases and deaths, the awful virus has rippled through the corridors of power, killing prominent lawmakers and members of the president’s entourage.

According to domestic reports, more than 780 people died, among them 32 members of parliament. Around 31,248 thousand people are known to have contracted the virus, though the actual number is likely much bigger.

Obviously, many young and elders people died and partners bereaved as loved ones died alone in the country hospitals, bedside visits were considered too dangerous to risk.

For the last 24 months, the novel coronavirus has paralyzed the Congo's economies, devastated the tourism, aviation sectors, and confined nearly ninety-four million people to their homes.

In 2020, lawmakers and officials in the parliament building flung chairs and buckets at one another during a brawl caused by a rift between President Felix Tshisekedi and his predecessor, Joseph Kabila. Most wore their masks below their chins.

Lately, Congo’s vaccination campaign has stuttered after it delayed the rollout because of safety concerns about the AstraZeneca shot.

Thus, approximately 75% of the 1.7 million doses it received in March were reallocated the following month to make sure they were used before they expired.

It's worth mentioning that millions of Congolese are reluctant to take a vaccine because of fears of the side effects and because the virus has had relatively little impact on the wider community.

Only 19,597 people in the country have been vaccinated since the rollout began on April 19, according to government figures. Congo’s population is around 80 million.