Updated: February 26, 2021
Coronavirus is accelerating dangerously in Africa again. Following a decline in July and August, and a plateau in September and October, the number of new cases and deaths has consistently increased since the beginning of November.
In the last week, the number of new cases and deaths reported increased by 40% (to 74 500 new cases) and 43% (to 1 400 new deaths), respectively compared with the previous week, according to new data released by the World Health Organization.
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Several countries in the Region are reporting a resurgence in both cases and deaths including Mali, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa.
South Africa has reported the highest number of cumulative cases and deaths in the Region, with more than 850 000 confirmed cases and over 23 000 deaths. In the last week, 42 500 new cases (700 new cases per 1 million population) and 1 000 new deaths (18 new deaths per 1 million population) were reported.
Four provinces including Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape were most heavily affected, collectively accounting for 84% of all newly reported cases. The increase in affected provinces is expected to continue as the number of cases among those aged 15 to 19 years continues to increase.
This increase could be partly attributed to end-of-school-year celebrations during which many adolescents gathered in large numbers.
In Uganda, the number of reported cases has continued to increase and in the last seven days, just under 5 000 cases were reported (100 new cases per 1 million population), a 118% increase from the previous week. The districts of Kampala, Kasese, Luwero, Mbarara and Wakiso have consistently reported the highest number of cases for the past three weeks, with Kampala the most affected. So far in the pandemic, a total of 1 516 cases, including 13 deaths, have been reported among health care workers, with the highest number reported in the week commencing 23 November, during which over 150 cases in health care workers were reported.
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