COVID-19 deaths in Africa near 30k

By Felix Tih and Addis Getachew

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AA) – The number of deaths from the novel coronavirus in Africa reached 29,833 on Tuesday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said.

At least 1.25 million people have contracted the virus, while 985,803 patients have recovered, according to the health agency's latest update.

Southern Africa has recorded 672,600 cases, North Africa 230,600, West Africa 160,600, East Africa 134,400 and Central Africa 54,400.

At least 15,100 people have died of virus-related complications in Southern Africa, 8,500 in North Africa, 2,700 in East Africa, 2,400 in West Africa and 1,100 in Central Africa.

Meanwhile, WHO Africa "grave concern” over "the rapid rise" in new COVID-19 cases in Ethiopia in the past few weeks.

Ethiopia has so far registered 52,131 cases, 809 deaths and 18,994 recoveries.

In August, the East African country launched a two-week-long community mobilization and testing campaign, aimed at conducting 200,000 virus tests.

According to WHO Africa's outbreaks and emergencies bulletin, there has been “…an established community transmission in the country and health resources are already strained by multiple other infectious disease outbreaks, and the humanitarian situation around displaced people and refugees.”

“The rise in numbers of cases requiring hospitalization and intensive care is of particular concern, particularly as case management is a challenge,” it said.

It added that an increase in health worker infections, and poor adherence to containment measures were also issues of concern.