Africa passed the threshold of 3 million confirmed COVID-19 cases on Sunday, including more than 72,000 deaths, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
With more than 1.2 million reported cases, including 32,824 deaths, South Africa represents more than 30% of the total continent of 54 countries and 1.3 billion people. The high proportion of cases in South Africa could be due to the country conducting more tests than many other African countries.
South Africa is experiencing a resurgence of the disease, caused by a variant of the virus that is more contagious and spreads rapidly. Many hospitals are reaching their capacity limits, however the number of infected is expected to continue to increase, according to health experts.
The seven-day report of the daily average of new cases in South Africa has increased in the last two weeks from 19.86 cases per 100,000 people on December 26 to 30.18 cases per 100,000 people on January 9, according to the University. Johns Hopkins.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will meet with his cabinet this week to consider whether further restrictions should be put in place to slow the spread of the disease, while weighing the need to fuel economic growth. The government has already imposed measures that include a ban on the sale of liquor, closing bars and restricting the number of people in public gatherings.
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