Virus cases in Africa top 225,000

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AA) - As Africa grapples with the fast-spreading coronavirus, the number of cases spiked to 224,105, according to a Saturday update by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

The virus took 100 days to infect 100,000 people in Africa since the first case was detected in mid-February, but then just 23 days to double to 200,000, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), in a pace that is accelerating.

The update has it that 6,040 patients have died across 54 African countries.

The number of people who have recovered from COVID-19 in the continent has reached 102,846, according to the update.

Southern Africa overtook North Africa on Saturday as the region with highest number of cases with 65,300, while North Africa followed with 63,600.

West Africa recorded 48,500 cases, East Africa 25,100, and Central Africa 22,600.

In terms of death tolls, North Africa suffered 2,500 fatalities, Southern Africa 1,400, West Africa 914, East Africa 763, and Central Africa 466.

At least 36,700 patients have recovered in Southern Africa, 27,400 in North Africa, 21,900 in West Africa, 8,800 in East Africa, and 8,100 in Central Africa.

South Africa has the highest number of cases, now at 61,900, while Egypt has seen 41,300.