Geneva, January 13 (RHC)-- Coronavirus cases continue to surge in southern Africa.  Zimbabwe officials have banned traditional funerals amid a spike in COVID-19 linked to funeral rites.  In Johannesburg, South Africa, a government-run hospital has moved COVID-19 patients into a parking lot after all available beds filled to capacity.

In Lebanon, officials have ordered an 11-day, 24-hour curfew, beginning Thursday.  The order sparked panic buying at grocery stores, with fears that crowded markets will lead to further community spread.

Meanwhile, Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has announced he tested positive for coronavirus and was isolating at his official residence in Lisbon without symptoms.  Portugal currently has one of the highest infection rates in Europe, with nearly 8,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic.