By Jerry Omondi
The number of COVID-19 infections in Africa surpassed the 11.29 million mark on Sunday as the continent continues to see a decline in new cases.
According to the latest data by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the total number of confirmed infections reached 11,295,377 with 250,564 virus-related fatalities.
South Africa remains to be the hardest-hit by the pandemic in Africa, having registered 3,703,329 infections with 99,879 deaths.
With those figures, the country accounts for 32.78 percent of Africa’s reported cases and 39.86 percent of its fatalities.
Two more countries have topped the one million mark, with Morocco’s 1,162,444 cases being the second highest tally in Africa ahead of Tunisia’s 1,029,762.
All but one of the remaining African countries have registered less than 500,000 COVID-19 infections.
The last wave of high infections to hit the continent came in the last quarter of 2021, attributed to the emergence of the Omicron variant.
Africa is banking on vaccinations to contain the virus.
So far, some 435 million vaccine doses have been administered on the continent. So far, 15 percent of the adult population is fully vaccinated.
The downturn in the number new infections has prompted some countries to ease containment measures, including the removal of masks and the lifting of bans on gatherings.
The World Health Organization however continues to reiterate calls for vigilance against the virus to avoid another spike in infections.
