Truck drivers queued for COVID-19 screening and testing exercise at Busia One Stop Border Post, Eastern Region of Uganda, June 6, 2020. (Xinhua/Nicholas Kajoba)
Africa has conducted over 110 million COVID-19 tests so far while the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the continent hit more than 11.75 million with 253,935 deaths, according to data from the Africa CDC.
ADDIS ABABA, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Some 53 African countries have conducted over 110 million COVID-19 tests so far, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said in the latest weekly briefing held Thursday.
Ahmed Ogwell, acting director of Africa CDC, the specialized healthcare agency of the African Union, while addressing journalists in his periodic briefing, said 366,779 new tests were reported during the past one week.
This is a 17 percent decrease from the previous week when 443,000 tests were reported.
A health ministry official took the temperature of passengers at a police checkpoint on a highway in Nakuru, Kenya, March 31, 2020. (Xinhua/Sheikh Maina)
"The cumulative positivity rate is 11 percent and the test per case ratio is 9.4 percent," according to the Africa CDC chief.
Five countries, namely South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt account for about 61 percent of all COVID-19 cases reported in Africa.
As of Thursday evening, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa had reached 11,755,471 with 253,935 deaths and 11,125,170 recoveries.
South Africa has recorded the most COVID-19 cases in Africa with 3,989,007, while the northern African country Morocco reported 1,195,883 cases as of Thursday evening, it was noted. ■
