Coronavirus: African health systems under pressure as cases, death toll soar
- Number of infections confirmed in past fortnight 50 per cent higher than in previous two weeks, World Health Organisation says
- Continent ‘does not have resources to build 1,000-bed hospital in two weeks, as China did’, director of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says
In the two weeks through Thursday, the number of new cases increased by 50 per cent and the death toll by 22 per cent – to 4,376 – from the previous fortnight, and both figures are set to rise as countries relax travel restrictions and reopen their borders, it said.
“Coming up to the first million confirmed Covid-19 cases in the African continent, countries have averted what could have been a much worse decision by taking some very courageous decisions,” WHO regional director for Africa Dr Matshidiso Moeti said.
“As Africa approaches one million cases, the continent is at a pivotal point,” she said.
“We are seeing in Africa and other parts of the world that when measures to suppress Covid-19 transmission are eased, cases creep up, so it is important that authorities and all communities have the capacities in place to react quickly with strong surveillance, testing, isolation and contact tracing.”
