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Brazzaville. — Covid-19 infections in Africa will exceed one million cases in the coming days as the pandemic surges in several hotspot countries. In a little more than three weeks, the number of cases on the continent almost doubled to 889 457, with 18 806 deaths.
Overall, the pandemic is accelerating with the number of new cases increasing by 50 percent during the last 14 days compared with the previous fortnight. However, only five countries account for about 75 percent of the cumulative Covid-19 cases. They are Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa. South Africa alone accounts for around half of the continent’s total cases.
Deaths are also increasing. A total of 4 376 new deaths were recorded during the last 14 days, representing a 22 percent increase from the previous two weeks.
Seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa which had imposed lockdowns and have now started easing them have experienced a 20 percent jump in cases over the past two weeks. Some countries such as the Republic of the Congo and Morocco have had to re-implement partial restrictions because of an increase in cases.
“As Africa approaches one million cases, the continent is at a pivotal point,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Africa. “The virus has spilled out of major cities and spread into distant hinterlands. Countries need to keep apace and urgently decentralize their key response services. We can still stop Covid-19 from reaching full momentum, but the time to act is now.”
Expanding the scale and quality of public health measures such as testing, contact tracing, isolation and care of patients remain central to the response, as well as preventing infection through handwashing, physical distancing and wearing of masks. — AllAfrica.
Online Reporter