Living in times of COVID-19 : Republic of Congo economic update

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a relatively modest toll on human lives in the Republic of Congo according to official data but has exacerbated an already fragile Congolese economy. As of September 28, 2021, the Republic of Congo has had 14,244 confirmed cases and 193 deaths, corresponding to a mortality rate of 3.4 per 100,000 population against the global rate of about 60.5. The relative low number of COVID-19 tests performed thus far in the country and findings from seroprevalence studies suggest that the true number of infections may be far higher than the number of confirmed cases. The Congolese economy is estimated to have contracted by 7.9 percent in 2020 compared to a pre-pandemicforecast of a positive growth rate of 4.6 percent, the sixth consecutive year of recession. The Congolese Government took early measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Mobility across the country was restricted to essential goods and services.