Sonangol Official One of Two Covid-19 Cases in Angola - Report

Executive with state oil company in quarantine as Angola government clamps down on travel

23 March 2020 14:47 GMT
By Iain Esau and News Reports in  London
Upstream Online

One of Angola’s two registered coronavirus cases is an administrator of state oil company Sonangol, according to local reports.

Osvaldo Macaia, a 38-year old Sonangol employee, has emerged as a Covid-19 carrier after he flew into Luanda on 17 March on a flight from Lisbon, Portuguese language news agency Lusa reported.

Angola’s second coronavirus case flew in from Porto in Portugal.

Macaia — who is now said to be under observation at a clinic in Luanda — arrived in Angola one day before the government legislated that any arrivals on flights from overseas should go into a 14-day quarantine period.

According to Sonangol's website, Macaia is one of seven members of the parastatal's administrative council and is also on the corporation's board.

Both Sonangol and the Ministry of Petroleum are screening visitors to their head offices in Luanda.

Minister of Health Silvia Lutucuta announced on 21 March that the country had two positive cases of Covid-19 and called on arrivals into the country to comply with mandatory quarantine requirements.

She called on the public to blow the whistle on people who do not quarantine, saying that anyone infected with the virus would “be taken to institutional quarantine centres”.

As of 20 March, President Joao Lourenco banned any flight from entering the country for 15 days.

He also legislated for banning arrivals at land borders and stopped passenger vessels docking at Angolan ports.

This shipping ban does not apply to cargo vessels, but their crews can only make landfall under exceptional circumstances.

All these bans will last until 4 March, with the option of being extended.

Meanwhile, gatherings of over 200 people are prohibited and schools will close on 24 March.