The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Director John Nkengasong on Monday warned of an increase in coronavirus cases across the continent, reported CGTN Africa.
Nkengasong said the continent is currently recording an estimated 10,000 cases per day, and it is feared that the cases could increase in the coming days. He said that a potential second wave of the pandemic as is being experienced in some parts of the world, like Europe.
“While AU Member States did well early on to slow COVID-19 transmission, we are seeing a worrying uptick in reported cases (~10,000 cases/day), across the continent,” Nkengasong tweeted.
Last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned African countries to exercise caution regarding the coronavirus pandemic despite registering a decline in number of cases in the few months.
Several African countries have already reopened their borders, schools, and relaxing restrictions on movement and gatherings. However, there have been reports of citizens in various African countries violating the existing health protocols, as complacency sets, in leading to a rise in cases.
“Africa CDC continues to urge countries to remain vigilant to contain a potential 2nd wave,” he added.
According to the Africa CDC, Africa has reported 1.97 million confirmed cases, 47,375 deaths, and 1,664,801 recoveries, as of Monday, November 16.
South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, and Ethiopia are among the most COVID-19 affected African countries in terms of the number of positive cases.
Southern Africa is the worst hit with 840,300 cases and 21,800 deaths. The region also has the most number of recoveries at 767,100.
On Monday, the South African health ministry said more than 35,000 health workers have tested positive for COVID-19 in the country since the beginning.
