We are concerned over Covid-19 spread in Africa, says WHO

We are concerned over Covid-19 spread in Africa, says WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of rising coronavirus cases in sub-Saharan Africa. The WHO said there was “a continued acceleration of [Covid-19] transmission”.

The organisation’s emergency chief Michael Ryan said what was happening in South Africa “may, unfortunately, be a precursor” and “a warning for what will happen in the rest of Africa”.

 South Africa’s Covi-19 cases increased by 30% last week, according to the WHO

“While South Africa is experiencing a very, very severe event, I think it is really a marker of what the continent could face if urgent action is not taken to provide further support,” he said.

The WHO said cases in South Africa had increased by 30% in the past week, Kenya increased by 31%, Madagascar by 50%, Zambia by 57% and Namibia by 69%.

Africa had reported 597,223 confirmed Covid-19 cases, including 9,691 deaths, by Monday according to the WHO statistics.

Two days ago, Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Miniter, Geofrey Onyeama tested positive to the virus. South Africa’s minister of mineral resources and energy Gwede Mantashe has been admitted to hospital days after testing positive for Covid-19, the government has announced.

His wife, Nolwandle Mantashe, will continue to self-quarantine at home.

The couple tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday last week.

In a statement, the government said the minister was “admitted to hospital on the advice of their family doctor for better medical attention and monitoring”.

South Africa has the highest number of confirmed Covid-19 cases on the continent and the fifth in the world – only USA, Brazil, India and Russia have more.

It has about 360 000 cases and 5,000 deaths