5,700+ coronavirus cases registered in Africa in 1 day

By Addis Getachew

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AA) - In Africa, the spread of the coronavirus pandemic seems to get more speed recently with at least 5,000 new infections recorded each day in the continent.

Over the past 24 hours, 5,727 new cases have been identified in the continent, taking the total infections to 135,292, according to a Saturday update of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The update showed that 132 more patients have died over the past one day bringing the continent's death toll to 3,922.

It said 56,416 patients have so far recovered, raising the current number of active cases in the continent to 74,954.

So far, North Africa recorded 40,500 cases, West Africa 33,200, Southern Africa 31,400, while East 15,300 and Central Africa 14,800.

More than 1,800 patients died in North Africa, 681 in West, 635 in Southern Africa, 443 in East and 371 in Central Africa.

South Africa has the highest number of cases with the tally standing at 29,200, whereas Zambia 1,100, Eswatini 279, Malawi 273, Mozambique 234, and Zimbabwe 160.

In North Africa, Egypt recorded 22,100 cases, Algeria 9,100, Morocco 7,700, Tunisia 1,100, Mauritania 423, and Libya 118.

Nigeria in West Africa confirmed 9,300 cases, Ghana 7,600, Guinea 3,700, Senegal 3,400, Cote d’Ivoire 2,800, Guinea Bissau 1,300, Mali 1,200, Niger 955, Burkina Faso 847, Sierra Leone 829, Togo 428, Cabo Verde 405, Liberia 273, and Benin 224.

In Central Africa, Cameroon recorded 5,400 cases, DRC 2,800, Gabon 2,600, Equatorial Guinea 1,300, Central Africa Republic 874, Chad 759, Republic of the Congo 571, and Sao Tome and Principe 458.

Sudan in East Africa has 4,500 cases, Djibouti 2,900, Somalia 1,800, Kenya 1,700, South Sudan 994, Ethiopia 968, Madagascar 698, Tanzania 509, Rwanda 355, Mauritania 335, and Uganda 329.

Globally, the pandemic has claimed nearly 365,000 lives in 188 countries and regions since originating in China last December. The US and Europe are currently the world’s worst-hit regions.

More than 5.93 million cases have been reported worldwide, while over 2.49 million people have recovered so far, according to figures compiled by the US’ Johns Hopkins University.