Coronavirus: Africa has over 400 confirmed cases of COVID-19 - WHO
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says there are now over 400 confirmed cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Africa.
The WHO Regional Office for Africa disclosed in a tweet today that 29 countries have been affected with Egypt having the highest number of confirmed cases with 150.
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#COVID19 #Africa case:
— WHO African Region (@WHOAFRO) March 17, 2020
🇩🇿 DZA 60
🇧🇯BEN 1
🇧🇫BFA 15
🇨🇲CMR 5
🇨🇫CAF 1
🇨🇬COG 1
🇨🇮CIV 5
🇨🇩COD 3
🇪🇬EGY 150
🇬🇶GNQ 1
🇸🇿SWZ 1
🇪🇹ETH 4
🇬🇦GAB 1
🇬🇭 GHA 6
🇬🇳GIN 1
🇰🇪KEN 3
🇱🇷LBR 1
🇲🇦 MAR 29
🇲🇷 MTR 1
🇳🇦NAM 2
🇳🇬NGA 3
🇷🇼RWA 7
🇸🇩SDN 1
🇸🇳SEN 26
🇸🇴SOM 1
🇸🇨SYC 4
🇹🇳 TUN 20
🇹🇿TZA 1
🇹🇬TGO 1
🇿🇦ZAF 62 pic.twitter.com/y8ce0WTCfT
South Africa (62), Algeria (60) and Morocco (29) follow in the order of the country with the most cases on the continent.
“With COVID-19 officially declared a pandemic, all countries in Africa must act,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
“Every country can still change the course of this pandemic by scaling up their emergency preparedness or response. Cases may still be low in Africa and we can keep it that way with robust all-of-government actions to fight the new coronavirus.”
The WHO says Containment remains the most appropriate strategy for African countries. Apart from South Africa and Algeria – which have clusters of transmission linked to imported cases – the confirmed COVID-19 cases in the African region are sporadic importations from European countries, mainly Italy, France, Germany and Spain.
To focus on containment in this narrowing window of available time, the WHO Regional Office for Africa says it is shifting from readiness to response mode.
"In countries with confirmed cases, efforts are underway to trace people who may have come into contact with those confirmed to have COVID-19. Efforts to support countries as they bolster essential early detection and surveillance capabilities at their ports, airports and land crossings are underway".