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Key Points:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Zipline has begun delivering Covid-19 test samples via drone in Ghana’s two largest cities, Accra and Kumasi.</li></ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>It is the first time in history that autonomous drones have been used to make regular long-range deliveries into densely populated urban areas.</li></ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>The start-up also has been working with the FAA to accelerate their launch of U.S. operations so it can distribute test kits and personal protective equipment via drone.</li></ul>



<a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/videos/2020/04/22/african-health-start-up-zipline-on-the-forefront-of-covid-19-fight/">Zipline</a>, the California-based drone-delivery start-up that delivers critical medical supplies in countries like <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/news/2020/04/20/ghana-lifts-lockdown-on-key-regions-as-covid-19-cases-reach-1042/">Ghana</a>, has begun delivering <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/">Covid-19</a> test samples in the country’s two largest cities — Accra, the nation’s capital, and Kumasi, the country’s second-largest city.



The service began Friday, when 51 test samples were collected from patients at rural health facilities and transported to the company’s distribution center in Omenako, <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/videos/2020/04/20/moodys-changes-ghanas-outlook-to-negative-b3-rating-affirmed/">Ghana</a>. Over the course of four separate flights, the company delivered those 51 samples to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research in Accra for testing and analysis.



The company will also be delivering Covid-19 test samples collected at regional hospitals near its Mapong distribution center to the Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research. The first such delivery took place on Saturday, April 18. The company said it expects to operate this new daily service for the duration of the government’s Covid-19 response efforts, marking the first time in history that autonomous drones have been used to make regular long-range deliveries into densely populated urban areas.



It is also the first time that drones have been used in this way to deliver Covid-19 test samples.&nbsp;The new delivery service allows the government to more closely monitor and respond to the spread of the disease in some of the countries most remote areas.



“Zipline is dedicated to helping Ghana in its fight against the Covid-19 pandemic,” said CEO Keller Rinaudo. “Using contactless drone delivery to transport Covid-19 test samples will allow the government to respond to the pandemic and help save lives more quickly.”



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Since its launch in October 2016, the company’s autonomous drones have flown more than 2 million miles and delivered more than 60,000 vaccines, units of blood and other medical products in Ghana, <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/videos/2020/04/21/rwandas-tech-innovators-quick-to-fill-the-market-demand-gap-amid-covid-19/">Rwanda</a> and India.



Before the Covid-19 outbreak, Zipline planned to launch U.S. operations in the fall of 2020, delivering to health facilities and homes. As the outbreak has worsened, the company has been working with the FAA on the necessary approvals needed to operate commercially, and says that they could do so within weeks of receiving said approval. According to a company statement, their emergency efforts in the U.S. would focus on the distribution of scarce resources like test kits and personal protective equipment (PPE), such as gloves and masks, as well as Covid-19 vaccines once they become available.



Zipline ranked No. 39 on the 2019 Disruptor 50 list. The 2020 Disruptor 50 list will be revealed this June.



This article was first published on CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/20/zipline-begins-drone-delivery-of-covid-19-test-samples-in-ghana.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/20/zipline-begins-drone-delivery-of-covid-19-test-samples-in-ghana.html</a> and is republished with its permission.



For more coverage on COVID-19 visit: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/">https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/</a>

Zipline launches drone delivery of COVID-19 test samples in Ghana

Zipline begins drone delivery of COVID-19 test samples in Ghana

Report by Tanvir Gill



Key Points:



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>While a plunge in U.S. crude oil prices this week reverberated across global financial markets and fueled renewed worries over the beleaguered shale oil industry, billionaire investor Howard Marks told CNBC that the price action “is completely rational.”</li></ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Marks said the weakness in prices was steeped in fundamentals as energy demand has cratered due to the coronavirus pandemic and buyers are struggling to stockpile crude.</li></ul>



<ul class="wp-block-list"><li>“Right now storage is scarce and thus expensive, so it’s not worth it to buy oil today and store it. The cost of storing exceeds the value today; thus the price is negative,” Marks said.</li></ul>



A <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/east-africa/2020/04/21/covid-19-what-the-oil-price-crash-means-for-african-economies/">plunge in U.S. crude oil prices</a> this week reverberated across global financial markets and fueled renewed worries over the beleaguered shale oil industry. Yet billionaire investor Howard Marks isn’t panicking.



Marks, who co-founded Oaktree Capital Management, told CNBC in an email interview that the <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/videos/2020/04/21/how-the-oil-market-fall-impacts-angolas-economy/">weakness in crude oil prices</a> was steeped in fundamentals as energy demand has cratered due to the <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/videos/2020/04/16/covid-19-pandemic-presents-an-opportunity-for-african-health-innovations-heres-why/">coronavirus pandemic</a> and buyers are scrambling to stockpile crude oil due to <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/videos/2020/04/21/covid-19-global-oil-markets-collapse-due-to-oversupply/">storage space</a> becoming scarce.



“It’s not a panic. The move is completely rational,” Marks told CNBC in an emailed statement.



 “The ultimate complication is that storing oil costs money, and storage facilities aren’t unlimited.  Right now storage is scarce and thus expensive, so it’s not worth it to buy oil today and store it.  The cost of storing exceeds the value today; thus the <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/videos/2020/04/21/behind-the-oil-price-collapse/">price is negative</a>,” Marks said.



The comments from Marks come after West Texas Intermediate crude for May delivery fell more than 100% to settle at negative $37.63 per barrel on Monday, which meant that traders were effectively having to pay to get oil taken off their hands. That marked the first time that the price of an oil futures contract had turned negative.



The May WTI contract, which expired on Tuesday, settled at $10.01 a barrel. Futures contracts trade by the month.&nbsp;



The June contract is currently trading around $11 per barrel. Meanwhile, international benchmark Brent crude stood at $17.01, nearly 12% lower.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1110" height="624" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/106469315-15857116313ED1-ASB-HowardMarks-033120-1110x624.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-368766" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/106469315-15857116313ED1-ASB-HowardMarks-033120-1110x624.jpg 1110w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/106469315-15857116313ED1-ASB-HowardMarks-033120-300x169.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/106469315-15857116313ED1-ASB-HowardMarks-033120-768x432.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/106469315-15857116313ED1-ASB-HowardMarks-033120-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/106469315-15857116313ED1-ASB-HowardMarks-033120-696x391.jpg 696w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/106469315-15857116313ED1-ASB-HowardMarks-033120-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/106469315-15857116313ED1-ASB-HowardMarks-033120.jpg 1910w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1110px) 100vw, 1110px" /></figure>



The <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/news/2020/04/15/poor-wealth-forecasts-for-south-africa-due-to-covid-19-sa-wealth-report/">coronavirus pandemic</a> has dealt a severe blow to economic activity around the globe and sapped demand for oil. While OPEC and its oil-producing allies finalized a historic agreement earlier this month to cut production by 9.7 million barrels per day beginning May 1, experts reckon that the reduction in supply won’t be enough to offset the diminution in demand.



The International Energy Agency, for instance, warned in its closely-watched monthly report, that demand in April could be 29 million barrels per day lower than a year ago, hitting a level last seen in 1995.



“Oil production can’t just be turned off, because for production some wells depend on pressure that a shut-off complicates. So, oil is coming out of the ground that exceeds the amount needed for consumption,” Marks said.



The gloominess in the oil market has also put the spotlight on US shale oil producers that are grappling with feeble demand on one hand and a lack of storage on the other, a conundrum that is making desperate oil companies “pay” traders for taking oil off them.



&nbsp;However, there are potential signs of relief. Some far-dated contracts this year are showing average oil prices of $20 a barrel and above while contracts expiring in 2021 are reflecting a modest bounce in demand taking prices to near $30 per barrel. Marks spotted a semblance of rationality in those prices.



&nbsp;“Oil can be bought for delivery by month. The negative price for oil reflects the excess of supply over demand, plus the cost of storage.&nbsp; The price for oil in future months (when consumption may have rebounded) is at more normal levels,” he said.



— CNBC’s Sam Meredith, Pippa Stevens and Eustance Huang contributed to this report.



This article was first published on CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/22/billionaire-investor-howard-marks-calls-oil-crash-completely-rational.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/22/billionaire-investor-howard-marks-calls-oil-crash-completely-rational.html</a> and is republished with its permission.



For more coverage on COVID-19 visit: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/">https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/</a>

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In light of the current COVID-19 pandemic, media intelligence company Meltwater has been tracking some of the most talked about and reported topics on the virus around the world, as well as some of the stories that are not gaining as much media attention.



For more coverage on COVID-19 visit: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/">https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/</a>



The data report provided below has been compiled by Meltwater:



As COVID-19 continues to spread across the globe, and news and social media conversations on the current pandemic continue to rise, much of the information reported on has had to do with the rising number of confirmed cases, the number of deaths and preventive measures that countries have been implementing since the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic.



But did you know that since 1 January 2020 to date, there have been 26.1 million news articles, globally, reporting on the coronavirus, but just under 6 000 of those news articles are talking about a possible vaccine? As the global leader in media intelligence, Meltwater not only tracked the most reported on news and social media topics since the start of 2020, but also took a look into the 4 most under-reported on topics surrounding the coronavirus.



1. How the news is under-reporting on a vaccine



One of the first trending topics to emerge from the coronavirus was a vaccine, or lack thereof, and the potential&nbsp; of a vaccine being created. While governments around the world are working towards treatment for coronavirus, this news isn’t making as many headlines globally.



While the process of finding a vaccine began as many parts of the world started to go into self-quarantine, researchers across the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries have started the global race towards making a vaccine, with just over 7 000 news articles mentioning ‘research’ with ‘coronavirus’ and ‘vaccine’, indicating that there is a slightly higher interest in news media on the research that scientists are doing for a vaccine than the actual potential of one being created.



With the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation donating $100 million to help develop a vaccine, news articles are reporting more on this, with over 4 000 news articles already written between 1 March 2020 and 8 April 2020, in comparison to news articles that do not mention the foundation’s involvement.



Only on 16 March 2020 did ‘research’, ‘coronavirus’ and ‘vaccine’ gain more media exposure on in the news due to reporting on fake test kits and herbal treatments for the coronavirus.



<figure class="wp-block-gallery columns-1 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex"><ul class="blocks-gallery-grid"><li class="blocks-gallery-item"><figure><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="627" height="423" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-1.png" alt="" data-id="368605" data-full-url="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-1.png" data-link="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/?attachment_id=368605" class="wp-image-368605" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-1.png 627w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-1-300x202.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 627px) 100vw, 627px" /></figure></li></ul><figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption">Global News Media Exposure on ‘‘Coronavirus” and “Vaccine” (blue) and ‘‘Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation” and ‘Vaccine’’ (green) between 1 January 2020 and 8 April 2020</figcaption></figure>



One of the biggest themes to come out of news media mentions on the ‘Coronavirus’ and ‘vaccines’ is ‘people.’ ‘People’ refers to the impact on citizens of the world that a current lack of a vaccine has, but also what people should do while they wait for a vaccine. While some news articles are reporting that it could take between 12 and 18 months for a successful vaccine to be developed, the human impact in the interim could be devastating, especially from an economic standpoint.



<figure class="wp-block-gallery columns-1 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex"><ul class="blocks-gallery-grid"><li class="blocks-gallery-item"><figure><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="627" height="425" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-2.png" alt="" data-id="368607" data-full-url="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-2.png" data-link="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/?attachment_id=368607" class="wp-image-368607" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-2.png 627w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-2-300x203.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 627px) 100vw, 627px" /></figure></li></ul><figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption">Global Trending Themes on ‘Coronavirus and Vaccine’ in News Media between 1 January 2020 and 8 April 2020</figcaption></figure>



‘AP Fact Check’ also emerged as a trending theme for news articles talking about the ‘Coronavirus’ and ‘vaccine’. This theme refers to the news articles that are debunking fake news around the coronavirus. Across the globe, there are only 532 news articles that have reported on this since the beginning of the year.



2. The silently positive social media response to a possible vaccine



On social media, there have been over 2 million mentions of ‘Coronavirus’ and ‘vaccine’ together, in comparison to the 223 million social media mentions of just the ‘Coronavirus’ since the start of the year. But when it comes to the general consensus around a vaccine for the Coronavirus, social media users don’t feel too positive or confident about it, as indicated by the data below. Between January and March, negative feelings have been growing for a vaccine, with 91% of social media mentions in March showing low confidence in the possibility of a vaccine, with social media posts referring to vaccine projects underway as well as better restrictions being a more feasible way of preventing the spread of the virus than a vaccine.



<figure class="wp-block-gallery columns-1 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex"><ul class="blocks-gallery-grid"><li class="blocks-gallery-item"><figure><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="624" height="420" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-3.png" alt="" data-id="368610" data-full-url="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-3.png" data-link="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/?attachment_id=368610" class="wp-image-368610" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-3.png 624w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-3-300x202.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 624px) 100vw, 624px" /></figure></li></ul><figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption">Global Sentiment Analysis, in Numbers, on ‘Coronavirus’ and ‘Vaccine’ on Social Media</figcaption></figure>



The announcement, in March however, where the USA signed a $450 million deal with Johnson &amp; Johnson contributed to 94% of all social media mentions on ‘coronavirus’, ‘vaccine’ and ‘Johnson &amp; Johnson’ showing little confidence in the vaccine project.



<figure class="wp-block-gallery columns-1 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-4 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex"><ul class="blocks-gallery-grid"><li class="blocks-gallery-item"><figure><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="624" height="437" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-4.png" alt="" data-id="368611" data-full-url="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-4.png" data-link="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/?attachment_id=368611" class="wp-image-368611" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-4.png 624w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-4-300x210.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 624px) 100vw, 624px" /></figure></li></ul><figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption">Global Sentiment Analysis, in Numbers,  on ‘Coronavirus’, ‘Vaccine’ and ‘Johnson &amp; Johnson’ between 1 January 2020 and 8 April 2020</figcaption></figure>



But despite the overwhelming adversity of a vaccine for the Coronavirus, March was the month where social media posts were mostly positive, in comparison to January and February.  While there were over 63 000  positive social media posts about a vaccine, and ten times more were of a negative sentiment, social media users are still hopeful that one is possible and well on its way.



3. Number of recoveries is also under-reported by the media



As news and social media continues to talk about growing concerns and the impact that the coronavirus has had on society in terms of restricted border entry, travel bans and disruptions to the economy, there have been far less media mentions when it comes to the recoveries that have been made.



With 26.1 million news articles talking about the coronavirus across the globe, just over 5 000 of those news articles have mentioned ‘recoveries’ in relation to the virus. On social media, while 223 million mentions have been made on the coronavirus, just over 8 000 of those mentions talk about recoveries, compared to the social media mentions that include ‘Coronavirus’ and ‘death’.



<figure class="wp-block-gallery columns-1 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex"><ul class="blocks-gallery-grid"><li class="blocks-gallery-item"><figure><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="624" height="413" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-5.png" alt="" data-id="368614" data-full-url="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-5.png" data-link="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/?attachment_id=368614" class="wp-image-368614" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-5.png 624w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-5-300x199.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 624px) 100vw, 624px" /></figure></li></ul><figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption">Global Media Exposure on ‘‘Coronavirus’ and ‘Death’’ (blue) and ‘‘Coronavirus’ and ‘Recoveries’’ (green) between 1 January 2020 and 8 April 2020</figcaption></figure>



In the news, the USA remains as the number one country for reporting on coronavirus recoveries (53.81%). This is due to news articles reporting on the recoveries of influential people, such as singer, Pink, and actress, Linda Lusardi.



Nigeria and South Africa, respectively at 3.26% and 2,04%, are the top two countries in Africa to do the same, with Nigeria mainly reporting on the discharging of recovered patients, and South African news articles reported on the recovery of Patient Zero (the first person in the country to be infected with the virus) and Netball SA President, Cecilia Molokwane.



While social media mentions on the recovery cases have been few, the USA has been the number one country to engage in these conversations online (20.45%) and mentions not just recoveries from the virus, but how economies plan to recover from the pandemic. Nigeria is the number one African country to do so on social media (3.08%), with users sharing their experience of having the virus after recovering from it.



<figure class="wp-block-gallery columns-1 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex"><ul class="blocks-gallery-grid"><li class="blocks-gallery-item"><figure><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="624" height="441" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-6.png" alt="" data-id="368616" data-full-url="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-6.png" data-link="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/?attachment_id=368616" class="wp-image-368616" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-6.png 624w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-6-300x212.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 624px) 100vw, 624px" /></figure></li></ul><figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption">Global Heat Map of Social Media mentions for ‘Coronavirus’ and ‘Recovery’ between 1 January 2020 and 8 April 2020</figcaption></figure>



4. The importance of masks as the real influencers is under-reported



The sale of masks has seen a large increase in the wake of the global pandemic. And while it has been talked about in the media as a preventative measure, few news articles talk about how face masks have become a symbol of health in these times.



As one of the trending themes to emerge from ‘Coronavirus’ and ‘Recoveries’, ‘face masks’, ‘mask and gloves’ and ‘health mask hands’ refers to how these items, mainly associated with essential workers, are now playing a big part in preventing the spread of the virus among non-essential workers.



<figure class="wp-block-gallery columns-1 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-7 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex"><ul class="blocks-gallery-grid"><li class="blocks-gallery-item"><figure><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="557" height="384" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-7.png" alt="" data-id="368619" data-full-url="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-7.png" data-link="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/?attachment_id=368619" class="wp-image-368619" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-7.png 557w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-7-300x207.png 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meltwater-7-218x150.png 218w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 557px) 100vw, 557px" /></figure></li></ul><figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption">Global Trending Themes in News Media Mentions on ‘Coronavirus’ and ‘Recoveries’ between 1 January 2020 and 8 April 2020</figcaption></figure>



While influencers and celebrities have taken to social media to share posts reacting to the Coronavirus and wearing masks, the top social media posters, by reach, to mention ‘Coronavirus’ and ‘Recovery’ are ‘Kashmir Today’, a Facebook account providing updates on the Coronavirus to their online community, and ‘MyMeleTOP’ on Twitter, a Nigerian based account that wished Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson a speedy recovery after testing positive for the Coronavirus.



With seven out of ten people searching for details and information on the coronavirus on a daily basis, the online world has become a valuable source for updates on what is happening in the real world. While the attention around the coronavirus has grown significantly during 2020, other topics of interest have become whispers in the noise surrounding COVID19.



As researchers continue to look for a vaccine, and the world embraces face masks as a prominent symbol of prevention, the data behind the insights on what has been under-reported on in relation to the coronavirus does provide an opportunity to shed light on what news and social media may not.

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Many people dream of throwing out the first pitch at the World Series or suiting up for a real NBA game. Now, a new charity challenge that’s already recruited the likes of Mark Cuban, Tom Brady and comedian Kevin Hart is offering numerous reasons to look forward to a post-coronavirus world where a few lucky winners could actually make those dreams come true.



And it’s part of a contest that’s raising at least $100 million to provide food for children, the elderly and frontline health workers amid the <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/">ongoing coronavirus pandemic</a>.  



Michael Rubin, the billionaire e-commerce CEO and co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, unveiled the “All In Challenge” on Tuesday. The virtual fundraising challenge is offering dozens of highly desirable experiences — from a one-day contract with Cuban’s Dallas Mavericks to a role in comedian Hart’s next movie.



The All In Challenge had already raised nearly $2.8 million for five charities — Meals on Wheels, No Kid Hungry, America’s Food Fund, World Central Kitchen and Feeding America — as of Wednesday afternoon.



Participants have the option of buying tickets to enter drawings to win certain prizes or competing in auctions to buy other experiences.



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For example, $10 will buy you 10 entries into a contest to win a one-day contract with Cuban’s Mavericks that will allow the winner to suit up and sit on Dallas’ bench during an actual NBA game, be a part of the team’s layup line at game time, and even shoot a free throw during the game. (Entrants can pay more for more entries, with $100 getting you 200 entries, though there is a limit of 1,000 entries per person.)



Cuban confirmed his involvement in the charity challenge in a Twitter post on Tuesday in which the billionaire also challenged Michael Jordan and Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer to join the All In Challenge by donating their own experiences.



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https://twitter.com/mcuban/status/1250121634289201155
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The All In Challenge website notes that new contests and prizes will be added to the charity challenge every day as more and more celebrities and athletes join the effort.&nbsp;



Entrants can also buy drawing tickets at the same prices to win chances to throw out the first pitch at the next World Series, play in the NBA’s All-Star Celebrity Game, win a walk-on role in the next movies from comedian Hart or Academy Award-winning director Martin Scorsese, or even have pop star Justin Bieber come to your house to serenade you with his song “One Less Lonely Girl.”



Meanwhile, other celebrities and superstar athletes have donated experiences that the charity challenge will auction off to the highest bidder. Those include a private workout or dinner with NFL quarterback Tom Brady and an invitation to attend the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ first home game of the upcoming season. Bidding for that item starts at $50,000, while you’ll need at least $200,000 to bid in an auction for rapper Meek Mill’s 2018 Rolls Royce Phantom.



Other experiences being auctioned off include a batting lesson with former MLB All-Star Alex Rodriguez or a round of golf and dinner with former NFL star Peyton Manning (the opening bid for both is $50,000).&nbsp;



In a video posted to Twitter, Brady announced his involvement in the charity challenge. “I would like to donate a once-in-a-lifetime experience to bring you and some friends down to Tampa Bay for our first home game,” Brady said in the video, in which he also invited his wife, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, rapper Drake and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to join the All In Challenge by donating their own experiences.



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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">I accept the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ALLINCHALLENGE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ALLINCHALLENGE</a>. Watch the video &amp; go to <a href="https://t.co/bRtYgf65MS">https://t.co/bRtYgf65MS</a> to get involved. I challenge my wife <a href="https://twitter.com/giseleofficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@giseleofficial</a>, my buddy <a href="https://twitter.com/Drake?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@drake</a> &amp; YOU <a href="https://twitter.com/nflcommish?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nflcommish</a> to go ALL IN! <a href="https://t.co/QDeBNEM0rf">pic.twitter.com/QDeBNEM0rf</a>&mdash; Tom Brady (@TomBrady) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomBrady/status/1250401456466911234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2020</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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“Let’s all make a positive impact on the world and do our part during this very, very difficult time,” Brady said.



Of course, with all major sporting events canceled for the foreseeable future, many Americans are just dreaming of the day when they can simply watch their favorite team compete in person, or at least on live television. (For example, some health experts don’t expect sporting events with fans in attendance will happen until the fall of 2021.) Production on Hollywood projects, like movies and TV shows, have also been temporarily halted amid bans on large gatherings of people.



Still, the All In Challenge is offering contestants a chance to dream big about one day fulfilling their wishes of stepping on an MLB pitching mound, palling around with their favorite athlete, or acting alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro in a Scorsese movie. (The fine print on the All In Challenge website notes that, for most of these prizes, “prize delivery time will be mutually agreed upon and determined at a later date when it is safe to do so.”)



“I believe when the world faces a crisis, businesses and sports have an obligation to step up and make a difference,” the organizer, Rubin, said in a statement regarding the All In Challenge. The 48-year-old Rubin is a former college dropout who built an e-commerce empire and now boasts an estimated net worth of $2.9 billion, according to Forbes. 



According to the challenge’s website on Fanatics.com, the online sportswear retailer run by Rubin’s company Kynetic, 100% of all funds raised will go to the five aforementioned charities.



Technically, entrants don’t have to donate any money to enter the drawings, as there are links on each contest page allowing you to enter for free. However, the challenge website notes that participants should “keep in mind that there are a lot of people struggling with food insecurity who need our help.”



“We encourage you to donate any amount possible, big or small, to help ensure others don’t go hungry.”



Even before the coronavirus pandemic, tens of millions of Americans struggled with hunger, according to Feeding America. Now, school closures across the U.S., and the fact that millions of Americans have lost their jobs in recent weeks, have exacerbated the issue further and caused food banks across the country to be overrun with people seeking emergency food supplies. 



Participants can already enter the contests and auctions that have already been announced on the All In Challenge website, though more prizes will be added in the coming days. Final dates for entry vary by contest.



This article was first published on CNBC Make It <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/15/mark-cuban-tom-brady-join-all-in-challenge-for-coronavirus-charity.html?__source=newsletter%7Cmakeit">https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/15/mark-cuban-tom-brady-join-all-in-challenge-for-coronavirus-charity.html?__source=newsletter%7Cmakeit</a> and is republished with its permission.



For more coverage on COVID-19 visit: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/">https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/</a>

Mark Cuban joins ‘All In Challenge’ for COVID-19, raffles one-day NBA contract

By Chris Bishop



As South Africa completed three weeks of lockdown the World Health Organisation hinted that the country is turning the tide against COVID-19. On the other side of the coin officials warn that the outbreak is only likely to peak, in Africa, in September.



Sub-Saharan Africa has around 17,000 cases and has suffered more than 900 deaths and the numbers increase every day, a weekly web briefing by WHO heard Thursday. South Africa has the most cases on the continent and along with Algeria and Cameroon it has half of the total.



&nbsp;South Africa, with its mobile testing, road blocks, complete shutdown and close tracking of contact tracing has been seen as the most aggressive, of the 47 nations in the region, in fighting the outbreak..



“I think South Africa is bending the curve.. .We think what they have done is starting to make an impact, but we have to continue to monitor it. They have taken a very aggressive attitude to testing” says Matshidiso Moeti, the regional director for Africa for WHO.



“Even before the outbreak, the South African government already had a public platform in place. It had carried out strong work in contact tracing a isolating and physical distancing. It too was early with closing schools, prohibiting sporting and social gatherings.”



Yet many other, less travelled, parts of the continent are likely to struggle with this. There were fears raised by journalists they it may be easier to carry out social distancing in an air-conditioned supermarket in Johannesburg, with hand sanitizer on tap, than it is in a teeming open-air market in Goma.



“The size of dwellings, the size of families, even the weather in many places is going to make it ery difficult. When people are going to outside markets, where we buy a lot of our food, it is very &nbsp;difficult to keep people apart , if you stay away from people you might disadvantage what you are going to earn for the day… People should be wearing masks when they go shopping. People should have sanitizers and soap,” says Moeti, who added that the outbreak was expected to peak in Africa in Semptember.



“I think it is a very good reminder that our response to COID 19 needs to be put in the context of many other issues.” &nbsp; South Africa has extended its 21-day lockdown for a further two weeks until the end of April.

Dr Matshidiso Moeti – WHO Regional Director for Africa

SA “bending the curve” in the fight against COVID-19 – WHO

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GUANGZHOU, China (Reuters) &#8211; Huddled under a highway bridge with a small bag of belongings, a 19-year old student from Ivory Coast was desperately dialling his few contacts in China.



The student said he arrived in the southern city of Guangzhou last week, after completing his quarantine in another city, during a coronavirus clampdown that several African countries and Africans in Guangzhou say has unfairly targeted them.



“I really need help. I just don’t want to sleep on the streets again,” he said on Monday, asking not to be identified by name.



He came to China to study the language but his university shut because of the coronavirus. Hotels kept turning him away, but later on Monday he said he had found one.



Several African ambassadors wrote to China’s foreign minister last week, calling for the “cessation of forceful testing, quarantine and other inhuman treatments meted out to Africans”.



Ghana’s foreign minister on Saturday called in China’s ambassador to convey the government’s concern.



China’s foreign ministry said on Monday all foreigners are treated equally. But it also said virus controls on Africans would be lifted, apart from confirmed cases and those who have had close contact with them.



“African friends will be treated fairly, justly and amicably in China,” the ministry said.



Many foreigners in China say they have faced suspicion as the country brought its own outbreak under control, only to see new cases brought from other countries. China has barred entry to most foreigners, and the vast majority of imported cases of the disease have come from Chinese nationals returning home.



In Guangzhou, a hub for African traders, authorities said on Tuesday that 111 Africans had tested positive for the coronavirus, while a total of 4,553 Africans had undergone testing since April 4, state media reported. [nB9N2BR00V]



Several African residents said the black community was being unfairly targeted for stricter checks.



“If they do this to all foreigners, then it’s not a problem, but it’s only black people,” Soumana Toudou, a garment trader from Niger, told Reuters by WhatsApp. He said he was undergoing his second 14-day quarantine because the authorities did not believe he had completed his first.



Such decisions are made at the local level and Reuters could not independently confirm this.



The scrutiny from the authorities had triggered hostility from Chinese residents, one student said.



“The selective testing has set the Guangzhou locals into panic, thinking black people are carrying the virus,” he said. He declined to be identified.



A Communist Party social worker, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters on Monday that black people were specifically being made to enter a period of quarantine.



Last week, authorities announced that two neighbourhoods popular with Africans would be locked down to curb the coronavirus after five Nigerians tested positive.



On Monday, the U.S. consulate general in Guangzhou advised African-Americans, or those who believe Chinese officials may suspect them of having contact with African nationals, to avoid the city.



The provincial foreign affairs office provided no immediate comment to Reuters about complaints from Africans and embassies that Africans had been unfairly targeted.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">ENGAGEMENT</h3>



China has stepped up its engagement with Africa in recent years, with state-owned companies building infrastructure and signing hundreds of deals across the continent.



Guangzhou was home to 13,652 Africans in 2019 and about 351,000 Africans entered the city from abroad last year, official figures show.



Videos on social media in recent days showed what appeared to be Africans sleeping on Guangzhou streets after being evicted from their apartments. Reuters could not independently verify the footage.



Property agents near Guangzhou’s Sanyuanli trading hub said such evictions of foreigners, including Africans, had contributed to a glut of empty apartments.



“For a white person, you can’t rent around here now because of the virus, but you’ll be welcome again in a few months,” said one agent, referring to when the pandemic passes. She declined to give her name.



“But black people, no one will accept them.”



A spokeswoman for McDonald’s in China apologised on Tuesday after staff at a Guangzhou branch forced black customers to leave.



The fast-food chain had temporarily closed the outlet while staff completed “diversity and inclusion” training, spokeswoman Regina Hui said in a statement.



The Chinese authorities now seem to be taking a more conciliatory stance. On Tuesday, media showed hazmat-clad personnel delivering food and flowers to Africans in home quarantine.



The chairman of the African Union, Moussa Faki Mahamat, was receptive, saying on Twitter on Monday he had spoken to Foreign Minister Wang Yi.



“He reassured me of measures underway in Guangzhou to improve the situation of Africans, in line with the strong and brotherly partnership between Africa and China.”



(Reporting by David Kirton in Guangzhou; Additional reporting by Tom Daly and Sophie Yu in Beijing; Editing by Tony Munroe and Robert Birsel)



This article was first published on Reuters Africa <a href="https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKCN21Y0UY-OZATP">https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKCN21Y0UY-OZATP</a> and is republished with its permission.



For more coverage on COVID-19 visit: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/">https://www.cnbcafrica.com/covid-19/</a>

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