Coronavirus cases in Africa now over one million - Africa CDC
- Coronavirus cases on the African continent are now over one million, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention
- Also, more than 22,000 people have so far died while over 690,000 have recovered
- Despite the rising figures, experts warned that the peak of the pandemic has yet to hit the continent which is still experiencing low testing
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The number of the confirmed cases of Covid-19 on the African continent is now more than one million, according to a report by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday, August 7.
Al Jazeera reports that the African health agency also states that more than 22,000 people have so far died across Africa from the COVID-19 disease, while over 690,000 have recovered.
Despite the rising figures, Legit.ng gathers that health experts warn the peak of the pandemic has yet to hit the continent.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) had earlier raised alarm at the "acceleration" of the disease in Africa even as many experts believe the actual number of coronavirus infections is likely much higher.
South Africa is the worst-affected African nation and the fifth worst-hit globally. Tt accounts for more than half of the continent's registered cases.
Egypt is in second place with 95,000 confirmed infections, followed by Nigeria, Ghana, Algeria, Morocco and Kenya.
"We haven't seen the peak in Africa yet," Mary Stephen, technical officer at the WHO's regional office for Africa, was quoted to have said.
"Since countries started relaxing lockdown measures, we have seen an increasing number of cases and most of these - more than 80 percent - are coming largely from 10 countries," she said.
The virus has spread to all 54 countries on the continent of 1.2 billion people.
But experts and aid groups believe the actual extent of the contagion is being underestimated because of a lack of testing and poor access to data.
The International Rescue Committee, a global humanitarian aid group, said the testing rates in all the African countries where it operates fall far below WHO guidelines, keeping "responders in the dark about the real spread of the disease".
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Meanwhile, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Thursday, August 6 reported that there are 354 new cases of coronavirus in Nigeria.
This means there are now 45,244 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in Nigeria. While 32,430 have been discharged, 930 people have died due to the viral disease.
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Source: Legit.ng
