The number of confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the African continent reached 2,469,101 as of Saturday as the death toll due to the pandemic climbed to 58,313, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.
The Africa CDC, specialized healthcare agency of the African Union Commission (AUC), further said a total of 2,083,189 people infected with COVID-19 have recovered across the continent as of Saturday.
The most affected African countries in terms of the number of positive cases include South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, and Ethiopia, figures from the Africa CDC showed.
South Africa currently has the most COVID-19 cases in Africa, with 901,538 confirmed cases. The country also accounted for the highest number of COVID-19 related deaths in Africa, at 24,285.
Morocco comes next with 412,393 confirmed cases and 6,854 deaths, followed by Egypt with 124,280 confirmed cases and 7,041 deaths, Africa CDC said.
Ethiopia, East Africa’s most COVID-19 affected country and Africa’s fourth most-affected country, has so far 119,025 confirmed cases and 1,843 COVID-19-inflicted deaths.
The Africa CDC, noting that the COVID-19 pandemic “continues to evolve across Africa,” also stressed that there is a need for African Union member states “to re-evaluate, re-strategize, and re-invigorate their coronavirus response activities across the continent to ensure their countries are prepared to handle an inevitable second, and potentially third wave of cases.”
In an effort to limit transmission and achieve pandemic control on the continent, Africa CDC also urged countries “should adapt or adopt best practices, strategies, guidelines and recommendations proposed by the Africa CDC and World Health Organization (WHO), aimed at limiting transmission.”
It also emphasized that measures taken should strike a balance between saving lives and minimizing the impact of the pandemic on the economy and social wellbeing of citizens.
