COVID-19 Spread Speeding up in Africa, WHO says
Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2020 2:51 amVOA - Arts and Entertainment
A pupil at the Winnie Mandela Secondary School has her temperature taken as she enters the school premises before classes resume in the Tembisa township, Ekurhuleni, South Africa, on June 8, 2020.
A pupil at the Winnie Mandela Secondary School has her temperature taken as she enters the school premises before classes resume in the Tembisa township, Ekurhuleni, South Africa, on June 8, 2020.
The World Health Organization said the rate of infection of the novel coronavirus is accelerating across Africa.
The WHO warned Thursday it took 98 days to reach 100,000 cases on the continent and just 19 days to reach 200,000 cases.
South Africa, which has one of the highest coronavirus rates on the continent, is representative of the rapid surge in cases and deaths.
Late Thursday, South Africa’s Health Ministry reported 74 more coronavirus deaths, and more than 3,157 new cases over a 24-hour period.
The WHO said South Africa is the hardest-hit country, accounting for 25 percent of the continent’s total cases.
So far, South Africa has confirmed more than 58,000 COVID-19 cases and more than 1,200 deaths.