Paidamoyo Makoni.
| Africa | Southern Africa | |
| Confirmed cases | 1,039,678 | 793,885 |
| Number of deaths | 22,966 | 13,196 |
| Recoveries | 723,688 | 563,880 |
| Active cases | 293,024 | 211,817 |
| Total Tests | 4,522,627 |
Coronavirus has now infected more than one million people in Africa as nations across the continent have recorded 1,039,678infections and at least 22,966 deaths, accounting for around five percent of global cases.
According to the African Centers for Diseases Control, just five countries account for 75% of all cases and these countries are South Africa, Egypt, Ghana, Algeria and Nigeria.
Over 723 00 cases have been reported to have recovered across the continent and this is a recovery rate of 69%.
South Africa has registered more than half, 63% (553,188) of all reported confirmed cases in the region and it is the hardest hit country across the continent and ranks fifth globally only after the United States of America (5,149,723), Brazil (3,013,369), India (2,153,010), and the Russian Federation (882,347). Tencountries accounted for 89% of new cases over the past two weeks.
Nine countries in Africa have reported a decline in cases over the past three weeks of around 20 percent.
This is mainly attributed to the significant declines in the daily case counts being reported in South Africa for the past few days. Anecdotal reports also indicate that the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations is slowing in South Africa.
In Djibouti and Tunisia, very few cases have been reported for the last few weeks, and most are imported.
In Egypt, Africa’s second-most populous country and one of the hardest hit by COVID-19, a decline in cases has been observed over the last five weeks.
Gambia, Lesotho, Zambia and Zimbabwe have been among the top five countries with the highest percentage increase for the past three reporting periods.
Countries with high infections relative to the size of their populations include South Africa, Djibouti, Gabon, Cape Verde and Sao Tome and Principe. East African nations Rwanda and Uganda have managed to significantly slow down transmission, while Mauritius has flattened the curve.
South Africa
The continent’s most industrialised economy has notched up more than 553,188 infections, more than half of the continental caseload, and the fifth biggest in the world. Cases in the past week increased by 49,898 to 553,188.
Numbers of daily infections have slightly decreased in recent days to below 10 000 cases – compared to an average 12 000 during much of July.
The Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize said on Tuesday that cases in the epicentre, the commercial hub of Gauteng province, appeared to be plateauing.
He however warned that there is a risk of a second wave and warned against complacency.
More than 10,000 people have died from coronavirus with 10,210 cumulative deaths now recorded.
Egypt
Egypt became the first African country to report a coronavirus case on 14 February. So far, it has officially registered the continent’s second highest number of cases at 95,314, including 4,992 deaths.
Numbers of daily new infections have recently been falling steadily. From an average of 1 500 previously, new cases plunged below 200 this week.
The country has witnessed the gradual closure of isolation hospitals, however the government is preparing for a potential second wave of the pandemic.
A curfew imposed in March was lifted at the end of June.
Regular domestic and international air traffic resumed on 1 July and tourism, a key income generator for Egypt, is slowly picking up.
Nigeria
Around 46,140 cases have been recorded in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, as well as 942 deaths.
In June, the caseload rose each day by between 500 and 800 but the pace has dropped more recently to between 300 and 400.
Nigeria carries out only 3 000 tests per day, about a tenth of the number in South Africa, which has a much smaller population of 58 million.
The disease epicentre in the country is the commercial hub of Lagos with a population of 20 million. The authorities are loosening lockdown restrictions, allowing churches and mosques to re-open.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is among the countries where daily infections are steadily rising, numbers of diagnosed cases doubled over 10 days and now stand at 4 575 including 102 fatalities. 1416 cases have recovered from the virus.
Harare remains the epicenter of the pandemic with 1,751 cases recorded. A total of 55 deaths have been recorded out of the 102 reported country-wide.
Bulawayo has the second highest number of cases with 1103 and 23 deaths. The province also has the highest number of recoveries with 590 cases.
The Midlands province has recorded 416 cases and 309 are local cases. Zvishavane is now the hotspot of the pandemic in the province. Five deaths have been recorded in the province and 287 cases have been reported to have recovered.
