The World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director; Dr. Matshidiso
Moeti; has said that 26 African countries have confirm 273 cases of
coronavirus with six deaths.
The UN global health agency; disclosed this Tuesday in its regional
official twitter account @WHOAFRO.
It said that that; there were six deaths related to the virus across
the continent.
The agency said that the government of Benin had on Monday confirmed
the country’s first case of COVID-19.
According to WHO, the patient is a 49-year-old male of Burkinabe
nationality, who entered Benin on Thursday, March 12, 2020.
At the weekend, the Central African Republic (CAR), Eswatini, Rep of
Congo, Rwanda, Seychelles announced their first cases of virus.
While giving a breakdown of confirmed cases, WHO’s Regional Director,
Dr. Matshidiso Moeti said: “Algeria 48, South Africa 51, Senegal 24,
Cameroon 3, Nigeria 2, Burkina Faso 7, Togo 1, DRC 3, Cote d’Ivoire 5,
Ghana 2, Gabon 1,
“Kenya 3, Ethiopia 4, Guinea 1, Rwanda 5, Namibia 2, E.Guinea 1,
Seychelles 2, CAR 1, Congo 1, Mauritania 1, Eswatini 1, Liberia 1,
Egypt 110, Morocco 28, Tunisia 18, Sudan 1.’’
Meanwhile, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa,
said “With COVID-19 officially declared a pandemic; all countries in
Africa can still change the course of this pandemic.
“These are done by scaling up their emergency preparedness or response.”
He noted that even though cases may still be low in Africa, countries
can keep it that way with robust all-of-government actions to fight
the new coronavirus.
According to her, containment remains the most appropriate strategy
for African countries
“The confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa; are as a result of sporadic
importations from European countries, mainly Italy, France, Germany
and Spain” she said.
