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JOHANNESBURG. – Africa is seeing an uptick in Covid-19 cases largely driven by a doubling in cases reported in South Africa, the World Health Organisation has said.

“This week new Covid-19 cases and deaths on the continent increased for the first time after a decline of more than two months for cases and one month for deaths,” Benido Impouma, director for communicable and non-communicable diseases at the WHO’s Africa office told an online news conference yesterday.

“This uptick is largely associated with the increasing number of cases reported from South Africa as the country enters its winter season when respiratory illnesses become more prevalent,” Impouma added.

Africa has been experiencing a lull in Covid-19 cases, with the WHO earlier this month pointing to the longest-running decline in weekly infections on the continent since the start of the pandemic.

South Africa has recorded the highest Covid-19 cases in Africa with 3 769 927 cases, followed by Morocco with 1 164 774 cases. Health authorities there are monitoring for signs of a fifth infection wave.

“Just in the last week the country’s (South Africa’s) cases have doubled, and there is a small increase in hospitalisations. Although the Omicron variant continues to mutate, there is no current evidence to suggest that this new upsurge is linked to any new sub-lineages or a new variant,” the WHO’s Impouma said.

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Africa reached 11 421 989 as of Wednesday evening, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

The specialized healthcare agency of the African Union said the death toll across the continent stands at 252 135 and that 10 788 122 patients have recovered from the disease so far. – News24.com