November 19, 2020
2 mins read

Africa fears 2nd wave as Covid cases surge

As of Thursday, the continent’s overall caseload and death toll stood 2,013,388 and 48,408, repectively, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC)….reports Asian Lite News

African countries are on high alert for a second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic as the number of confirmed cases on the continent hit 2 million on Thursday.

Africa reported its first 1 million confirmed cases on August 7 after it registered the first infection on February 14 in Egypt, reports Xinhua news agency.

As of Thursday, the continent’s overall caseload and death toll stood 2,013,388 and 48,408, repectively, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

The World Health Organization (WHO) said the testing level in Africa was still very low compared to other regions.

“Most African countries are focused on testing travellers, patients or contacts, and we estimate that a significant number of cases are missed,” says WHO’s regional director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti in late October.

The most COVID-19 affected African countries in terms of the number of positive cases include South Africa, Morocco, Egypt and Ethiopia, figures from the Africa CDC show.

One of the worst-hit country at present is Morocco, which reported 6,195 cases on November 12, the highest daily spike since the onset of the pandemic in the country on March 2.

John Nkengasong, director of the Africa CDC, said that Africa has recorded an 8 per cent rise in new coronavirus cases in the past month.

“We cannot relent on our efforts to bend the curve. The virus tends to give you a sign that you are winning and it comes back more severely. We are strongly advocating for the control measures including the wearing of masks which we appeal to countries to subsidize masks,” he said.

In Africa and throughout much of the world, the increase in new cases coincided with the easing of restrictions and other measures put in place earlier this year to help stem the spread of the virus.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta sounded alarm over the sudden increase in the infections and deaths earlier this month, adding that the government would not hesitate to impose stringent measures and avert a looming implosion.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa urged citizens to be responsible in adhering to social distance measures in an effort to avoid or delay the second wave.

Also read:South African tourism faces daily loss of $18mn

Previous Story

Germany Threatens Turkey with EU Sanctions

Next Story

1100 Entries To Compete In ‘KidzCINEMA2020’

Latest from -Top News

Afghan-Pak tensions threaten South Asian stability

The Afghanistan-Pakistan fighting has impacted civilians on both sides, with people fleeing the border areas while daily movement and trade has been disrupted…reports Asian Lite News The recent tensions between Afghanistan and

Fourth AUSTRAHIND exercise begins in Australia

Primary focus of this year’s exercise is “joint company level counter-terrorism operations in urban terrain and semi urban terrain…reports Asian Lite News The fourth edition of the India-Australia joint military exercise, AUSTRAHIND,

Sanae Takaichi makes history in Japan

From 2022 to 2024, Takaichi was Japan’s Economic Security Minister. She also holds the record as the longest-serving Minister for Internal Affairs…reports Asian Lite News Sanae Takaichi was elected Japan’s next Prime

Cabinet of Japan PM Ishiba steps down

After the prime ministerial vote, Takaichi will finalise cabinet appointments, and the chief cabinet secretary is scheduled to announce the lineup….reports Asian Lite News Outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba resigned with
Go toTop