Africa’s COVID-19 cases surged above 1.2 million: death toll nears 30,000

The Africa CDC that the number of positive COVID-19 cases across the African continent has risen to 1,245,230

Coronavirus

The Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Monday said that the number of positive COVID-19 cases across the African continent has risen to 1,245,230.

The centre noted that only five African countries account for about 70 per cent of all COVID-19 infections in the continent, stressing that the death toll from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic rose to 29,589 on Monday.

Some 975, 643 people who were infected with COVID-19 had recovered across the continent so far, it said.

Amid the rapid spread of the virus across the continent, South Africa alone accounts for about 50 per cent of all COVID-19 infections in the continent, followed by Egypt which has eight per cent of all COVID-19 infections in the continent, the Africa CDC said.

The continental disease control and prevention agency said that South Africa had so far reported 625, 056 cases and 14,028 deaths as at Monday.

Egypt is the second most COVID-19 affected country with 98,727 positive cases and 5,399 COVID-19 related deaths, it was noted.

Morocco, which has so far reported 61, 399 positive cases and 1,111 deaths, comes third with about five per cent of all COVID-19 infections in the continent, while Nigeria and Ethiopia round the top five list.

According to the Africa CDC, the southern Africa region is the most affected area in terms of confirmed cases, followed by northern Africa and western Africa regions.