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ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) – The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the African continent reached 2,469,101 as of Saturday, while the death toll from the pandemic rose to 58,313, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.
The Africa CDC, the specialized health care agency of the African Union Commission (AUC), further said that a total of 2,083,189 people infected with COVID-19 have recovered across the continent as of Saturday.
The most affected African countries in terms of the number of positive cases include South Africa, Morocco, Egypt and Ethiopia, the CDC Africa figures showed.
South Africa currently has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Africa, with 901,538 confirmed cases. The country also accounted for the highest number of COVID-19-related deaths in Africa, at 24,285.
Morocco follows with 412,393 confirmed cases and 6,854 deaths, followed by Egypt with 124,280 confirmed cases and 7,041 deaths, the Africa CDC said.
Ethiopia, the country most affected by COVID-19 in East Africa and the fourth most affected country in Africa, has so far 119,025 confirmed cases and 1,843 deaths caused by COVID-19.
The Africa CDC, noting that the COVID-19 pandemic “continues to evolve in Africa,” also emphasized that there is a need for African Union member states “to re-evaluate, rethink and reinvigorate their response to COVID-19. activities across the continent to ensure their countries are prepared to handle an inevitable second and potentially third wave of cases. “
In an effort to limit transmission and achieve control of the pandemic on the continent, CDC Africa also urged countries to “adapt or adopt the best practices, strategies, guidelines and recommendations proposed by CDC Africa and the Organization World Health Organization (WHO), aimed at limiting transmission. “
He also stressed that the measures taken must strike a balance between saving lives and minimizing the impact of the pandemic on the economy and the social well-being of citizens. Final product