Africa sees over 323K active COVID-19 cases

By Addis Getachew

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AA) - The number of active coronavirus cases in Africa to date stood at 323,258 as recoveries account for well over half the number of total cases, says the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in an update on Tuesday.

At least 2,080,923 people contracted the virus across Africa since the first case was reported in Egypt in February.

The continent also shows a strong recovery rate as 1,757,665 patients have already recuperated.

Africa CDC chief Dr. John Nkengasong earlier told Anadolu Agency that Africa’s recovery rate was as much as 86%, which could be taken as good news.

The continent's young population, less congested cities, and low mobility, among some other factors, have contributed to the good recovery performance, he said.

He however said: "We are a long way yet to win the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic."

More than 49,975 people have also died of the disease-related complications across the continent.

Southern Africa has the most cases and deaths that have stood at 864,100 infections and 22,600 deaths, respectively. The region, one of the five geographical regions in the continent, also registered the most recoveries, standing at 788,100.

North Africa recorded 692,600 cases, East Africa 258,100, West Africa 201,900, and Central Africa 64,200.