Over 115,000 new cases of COVID-19 have been registered in Sub-Saharan Africa over the past week, with about two-thirds of new cases recorded in South Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organization (WHO) regional director for Africa, said at a briefing on Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd July, 2020) Over 115,000 new cases of COVID-19 have been registered in Sub-Saharan Africa over the past week, with about two-thirds of new cases recorded in South Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organization (WHO) regional director for Africa, said at a briefing on Thursday.
"In the WHO African region, which is mainly sub-Saharan Africa, we have had more than 115,000 cases in the past week, and 93 percent of these occurred in the 10 counties, including over 74 percent coming from South Africa. Cases also increased in southern African countries such as Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia," Moeti said.
The official noted that the increase in the number of new cases coincides with the removal of lockdown restrictions by African governments.
The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Africa has surpassed 769,000 since the beginning of the outbreak, and the death toll from the disease has reached 16,000, according to the latest WHO figures. Nearly 400,000 cases of COVID-19 and 6,000 fatalities have been reported from South Africa alone.
