COVID-19 kills 32 members of Congo's parliament

NEW DELHI: Thirty-two members of parliament in the Democratic Republic of Congo, or about 5% of the total, have died from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

Congo, like many other African countries, has officially reported relatively few cases and deaths. However, the virus has killed prominent lawmakers and members of the president's entourage.

"The latest update announced by the government reports 31,248 confirmed cases and 780 deaths, among them 32 members of parliament," said Jean-Marc Kabund, the first vice president of the lower house of parliament, has been quoted as saying.

Masks are required inside parliament, but lawmakers frequently go without them as they congregate in large groups.

To make matters worse, Congo's vaccination campaign has stuttered after it delayed the rollout because of safety concerns about the AstraZeneca shot.

Many 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.

Just 19,597 people in the country have taken the vaccine since the rollout began on April 19, according to government figures. Congo's population is around 80 million.

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