COVID-19: Second wave of infections coming, African countries warned
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| The time for the continent to prepare for the second wave is now |
The Director, Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), John Nkengasong, wants African countries to prepare for a second wave of COVID-19 infections.
Speaking during a virtual press conference on Thursday, Nkengasong said the preparation was imperative as the number of new cases in several African countries is showing a slight increase.
“The time for the continent to prepare for the second wave is now,” said Nkengasong.
“The continent has done very well in bending the curve, where most infections peak around July and then decline steadily, but now we are beginning to see some stagnation and even slight increase in some African countries,” he said.
The Africa CDC chief asked African countries to strengthen surveillance systems, increase testing, engage communities in response and promote mask-wearing in order to effectively fight the pandemic.
“If we do those things together, then we are preparing the continent effectively for the second wave which undoubtedly will be there. I mean that we have seen what is going on in Europe. We want to be sure that we protect against the gains that we’ve achieved over the last 10 months,” said Nkengasong.
“The continent finds itself at a very pivotal period, a trying moment for the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. We have made so many gains, but the time is now to really prepare for the second wave. We should see what is happening in Europe and observe that with concern, but we can do something about it and the time for that is now,” he said.
The Africa CDC, a specialised healthcare agency of African Union Commission, disclosed the total number of confirmed COVID-19 positive cases across the African continent has reached 1,748,335 with a death toll of 42,151 as of Thursday.